Dive Summary:

• The settlement offer offered incentives for Florida’s largest power users, a technique that the consumer advocate warned would actually increase costs to most of FPL’s customers.
• J.R. Kelly, director of the Office of Public Counsel, said that the proposal simply shifts $50 million of utility costs from the large utility users, hospitals, and military bases who agreed to the deal and puts it onto residential customers and small businesses.
• FPL says it needs the rate increase as it moves forward with plans to build new power plants across the state and contends that savings from fuel will counteract most of the increased costs to consumers, something Kelly refutes by saving FPL is already making excessive profits.

From the article:

A last-minute proposal this week by Florida Power & Light to settle its rate increase request by offering incentives for the state’s largest power users was slammed Thursday by the state’s top consumer advocate who warned that it will increase costs to most customers.

Reaction has been blistering to the last minute move by Florida Power & Light to settle its $690 million rate case by offering to cut the cost $138 million next year. ...