State regulators approved an $811 million rate increase for customers of Florida Power & Light Tuesday, a decision blasted by critics as unnecessary, shortsighted and environmentally unfriendly.

  • Leaders approved $811 million rate increase for FPL customers
  • Customers using 1K kW hours per month will see their base rate rise by $5
  • Rates will continue to rise for the next four years

The increase, which will begin taking effect in January, is lower than the $1.3 billion rate hike FPL had originally requested. The additional revenue will fund construction of a technologically advanced natural gas-burning power plant.

"Taken as a whole and given the amount of broad support across the customer groups that signed on, the settlement, I do believe, produces rates that are fair, just and reasonable and are clearly in the public interest," Florida Public Service Commissioner Julie Brown said before the commission's unanimous vote in favor of the FPL rate increase.

The merits of the higher rates, however, are ringing hollow to a coalition of groups opposing the increase.

"Florida has the third highest solar capacity in the country," said Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club's Florida chapter. "Our communities and our natural resources would be best protected by a diverse energy supply that includes more solar, energy storage, and energy efficiency — not by doubling down on dangerous, dirty fossil fuels.”

The package approved Tuesday encourages — but doesn't require — FPL to expand its solar generating capacity. The company recently spent more than $8 million on an unsuccessful campaign to convince voters to approve Amendment 1, which environmentalists derided as a misleading attempt to limit solar generation.

The reduced rate increase, combined with FPL's outsize influence in Tallahassee — barred from engaging in 'ex parte communications' with PSC commissioners, utility executives nonetheless frequently socialize with commissioners at industry conferences — likely spurred the package's passage, consumer advocates said.

"This shows that the process ultimately works," Commissioner Lisa Edgar declared before the vote.

But if anything, critics argue the process has failed ratepayers.

"This commission and stakeholders must not waive their ability to use all lawful means to protect the millions of Floridians who will be stuck with needlessly higher electricity bills," Diana Csank, a Sierra Club attorney, said during a hearing on the rate increase.

As a result of Tuesday's vote, FPL customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will see their base rate rise by $5 in January. The rate will climb an additional $4.48 over the next four years.