FPL customers could foot bill for nuclear plant expansion

Florida Power & Light Co . is proposing passing about $259 million in costs next year to customers for expanding two South Florida nuclear plants.

[DJD]

How about using part of FPL's profits to cover these costs? Instead of handing them directly to investors, after all they ARE investors, let them INVEST in the new plants.
As rate payers we not only have to pay for existing service but build the plant for you as well? Where's the return on OUR investment? Increased rates everytime the wind blows?
"Public Service Commission" as always looking out for our best interests. Can you define "Public" please?

[Franco]

what do you mean "COULD FOOT THE BILL " ?
How about we SHALL foot the bill and have our electric bills skyrocket with time..?

Nuclear waste has a shelf life of 10,00 years..anyone living nearby will GLOW in the dark........

another FPL ram job up our collective arses !

[david]

This is total BS
They just showed record profits and now they want us to pay more.
The consumer pays through the nose for everything that FPL wants and our politicians approve it
Makes you wonder if some of the money is being shifted to our lying politician POCKETS

By the way I need a new house can I charge my neighbors?

[david]

I suggest that every consumer in Florida just stops paying their bills

What is FPL going to do - shut off the electric to every home and business

This is bull crap and do you honestly think our LYING GOVERNOR will help us out?

[A1ACharles is All Knowing]

I like how they say "could foot bill".

We need a moratorium on development immediately or they will build more nukes here.

Thanks Amendment 1.

[Mo-Ham-Head]

We need alternative energy sources, but I agree FPL should foot the cost of building the plant...perhaps I should just buy stock in FPL, that way I am paying myself.

[Joe E]

Electric going up $2.51 per month.

Gas is $4.00 per gallon, or,$4.00 per day.

I think I can swing that, especially since my next car WILL be electric.

Buh-bye Shell, Mobil, Exxon. Give my warmest regards to King Fahd and Hugo Chavez. Stick that pump where the sun don't shine.

[Bill]

Mmmm, let's see now. FP&L wants to expand its nuclear plants to the tune of 259 million dollars and wants the public to pay for it. Just wondering now, if this idea was included in a five year plan and if so, why wasn't money put aside to pay for the expansion?? Also, what is the justification for the expansion?? If I remember correctly, the nuclear plants are only producing 25% of the electric at the present time so, is there a real need at the present time for expansion or is this just cashing in on their part??

[Wavy Gravy]

I would be happy to pay for a coal fired plant right next to the Everglades.

Ok. Not really, but it would be fun to watch all the eco-freaks have a fit at the thought...

[Princess]

Why don't the Executives at FPL give up up their year end bonuses that will pay for the new plants. Problem solved!!!

[Ignignokt]

Wavy Gravy wrote:

I would be happy to pay for a coal fired plant right next to the Everglades.
Ok. Not really, but it would be fun to watch all the eco-freaks have a fit at the thought...

Great strides have been made in coal plant emissions lately , although nuclear is more efficient .

FPL should pay for their own plant. They reap the rewards after all..

I don't make my customers pay for tools I use to repair their engines or generators .

[Brian]

Let me explain to all of you how this works. FPL is a regulated utility. They are only allowed to make a certain percentage of profit. Any more than that has to be returned to the ratepayers. FPL has to have any rate changes approved by the PSC. An unregulated utility can do anything they want and they can charge anything they want with no approvals needed.

When a regulated utility builds a new plant or expands an existing plant, the cost is added to the rate base after getting PSC approval. An unregulated utility will just raise the rates as necessary to pay for the plant and will make as much profit as it can.

[Pompano]

FPL Customers foot the bill on anything FPL does...
we foot the bill of the company picnic
we foot the bill for hurricane repairs
we foot the bill for the CEOs vacation

blah blah blah...I could go on.

[Pompano]

Your comment is very informative...if utilities are "alledgedly regulated" then why dont they regulate the salaries of top executives? Salary caps for all utility execs.

Brian wrote:

Let me explain to all of you how this works. FPL is a regulated utility. They are only allowed to make a certain percentage of profit. Any more than that has to be returned to the ratepayers. FPL has to have any rate changes approved by the PSC. An unregulated utility can do anything they want and they can charge anything they want with no approvals needed.
When a regulated utility builds a new plant or expands an existing plant, the cost is added to the rate base after getting PSC approval. An unregulated utility will just raise the rates as necessary to pay for the plant and will make as much profit as it can.

[Brian]

Pompano wrote:

Your comment is very informative...if utilities are "alledgedly regulated" then why dont they regulate the salaries of top executives? Salary caps for all utility execs.
<quoted text>

I am all for that. I think there should be salary caps regulated companies in any industry. I think we should do like they do in Japan, which is that the CEO cannot make any more than 10 of 15 times the average paid employee. If the CEO's want more money, then all the workers get a raise.

[Pompano]

WOW...you are all sorts of good information! I like that idea too!

Brian wrote:

<quoted text>
I am all for that. I think there should be salary caps regulated companies in any industry. I think we should do like they do in Japan, which is that the CEO cannot make any more than 10 of 15 times the average paid employee. If the CEO's want more money, then all the workers get a raise.

[what the heck]

Brian wrote:

<quoted text>
I am all for that. I think there should be salary caps regulated companies in any industry. I think we should do like they do in Japan, which is that the CEO cannot make any more than 10 of 15 times the average paid employee. If the CEO's want more money, then all the workers get a raise.

Yeah nothing like having government dictate how much you earn. Hey, I hear Cuba is accepting new immigrants, so get your inner tube ready!

Something about the internet that brings out the commies.

[Read the Paper]

This is the same as building a new arena or stadium with tax payer money so the team owner can make tons of money and live in a mansion. So we pay for the new plant, FPL profits rise, the FPL board votes themselves a raise for a job well done.

[Mark1967]

big suprise there, the customer foots the bill.

[Just Plain Vic]

Do they not teach economics in this state or do they just import refugees who want a return of the Soviet?
A corporation, like FPL or Walmart or Shell, is not a person nor is it a philanthropist. It is in business to provide a service for profit, which it uses to pay its employees, repay the speculators who loaned it money by purchasing stocks and to grow itself. That is true even for a regulated industry like a power company. It's job is to make money, just like your's is.
If FPL operated at a loss, as you apparently want it to do, it could not pay its thousands of employees. It could not generate power nor build and repair infrastructure. No one would invest in a losing proposition and there would be no new power or expanded power generation. The soon bankrupt FPL would pay no taxes and the government would no longer be able do all of the things you want it to do (which down here seems to be anything that strikes your fancy at the moment). If FPL operated at a loss it could not build that new power plant so you could run your sprinkler pump and have a green lawn nor could it invest in or develop your fantasy alternative energy sources. They just paid the government over $360 Million in taxes; want to do without that?
Sure, let's stop paying the executives of the company exorbitant salaries. I'm sure they would be glad to work for peanuts, just like you would be happy to work for the pleasure of helping your fellow man rather than take money for your job.