Court Sets Hearing in Utility Storm Plan
News Service of Florida
The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments Feb . 7 in a dispute about state regulators ’ approvals of storm-protection plans for four electric utilities . The state Office of Public Counsel , which represents consumers in utility issues , went to the Supreme Court in December 2022 after the Florida Public Service Commission approved plans for a wide range of utility projects , such as increasing the number of underground power lines . The plans , approved for Florida Power & Light , Duke Energy Florida , Tampa Electric Co . and Florida Public Utilities Co ., were tied to a 2019 state law that passed after Hurricane Irma , Hurricane Michael and other storms caused widespread power outages . Utilities file 10- year storm-protection plans with the commission and then are able to seek money from customers annually to carry out the plans . In the Supreme Court case , the Office of Public Counsel has argued , in part , that regulators did not properly review what is known as the “ prudence ” of the stormprotection plans
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