Was FPL part of a ‘secret campaign” that targeted regulators?

What happens when a small group of emboldened regulators gets on the wrong side of one of the most powerful, influential and resource-rich electric utilities in the nation?

As the three members of the Public Utilities Commission weigh whether to let NextEra Energy take control of Hawaiian Electric Industries, a regulatory dust-up that came to a head in Florida six years ago might offer some guidance.

That was when the Sunshine State’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light, asked regulators to approve a vast electricity rate increase. The subsidiary of NextEra said this would allow it to invest $16 billion in new technology and construction. Continue reading…

FPL, Gov. Rick Scott and Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam receive rate rebuke from Florida court

Last week, a Florida law judge struck back hard against FPL for massively polluting the area around two 1970’s era nuclear reactors at Turkey Point, for which the corporation sought and obtained permission to extract additional power a few years ago to the dismay of activists who had pointed out FPL operation of the plant had violated numerous binding legal agreements with the state of Florida. Continue reading…