The Florida Supreme Court has upheld the Public Service Commission’s approval of long-term utility plans designed to strengthen the state’s electric grid against future hurricanes.
The ruling, issued on Thursday, addresses a challenge brought forth by the Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumer interests. The office argued that the commission had erred by not considering the prudence of the proposed projects within the storm-protection plans.
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However, the Supreme Court disagreed, stating that the commission’s role is to determine if the plans are in the public interest, not to assess the prudence of individual projects. The court emphasized that the issue of prudence is addressed separately during the ratemaking process.
The 2019 state law that authorized these plans was enacted in response to the widespread power outages caused by Hurricanes Irma and Michael. The law allows utilities to recover the costs of implementing storm-protection measures from ratepayers.
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While the recent hurricanes have highlighted the need for a resilient power grid, the court’s decision ensures that utilities can proceed with their plans to improve infrastructure and protect consumers from future disruptions.
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