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kristopher

(29,798 posts)
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 08:19 PM Apr 2013

Pull plug on Florida's nuclear tax

Pull plug on Florida's nuclear tax
By Mark Cooper
Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Florida is one of just three states that made the mistake of allowing utilities to bill consumers in advance for the construction of nuclear reactors. Now, both chambers of the Legislature are considering measures (HB 4003 and SB 1472) that would correct this error to varying degrees.

Florida's lawmakers will do consumers a huge favor if they pull the plug on what is referred to as "advance cost recovery" or "the nuclear tax."

The plain truth is that Sunshine State residents are facing billions of dollars in charges for four nuclear reactors that are unlikely to ever be built. Utilities, state lawmakers and the Public Service Commission have known for years that additional nuclear reactors for Florida were both unneeded and far too expensive to justify. I know that is true — I am one of the experts who testified to those facts before the Florida PSC in July 2009 and August 2010.

...All of the reactors being built today are in the tiny handful of states that unwisely shifted nuclear construction risk onto the shoulders of ratepayers. Three-quarters of the reactors that were proposed during the nuclear renaissance were to be in states that did not have advanced cost recovery. Not one of those projects is moving forward.

In contrast...


http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/column-pull-plug-on-floridas-nuclear-tax/2115448
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Pull plug on Florida's nuclear tax (Original Post) kristopher Apr 2013 OP
Pull the plug already madokie Apr 2013 #1
The ratepayers in FL have already been shafted. kristopher Apr 2013 #2
Its criminal madokie Apr 2013 #3

madokie

(51,076 posts)
1. Pull the plug already
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 08:24 PM
Apr 2013

Too expensive, too dirty. spend the money on the alternates. We'll be better for it.

kristopher

(29,798 posts)
2. The ratepayers in FL have already been shafted.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 03:37 PM
Apr 2013

Like Cooper says, with this process there is no downside for the utilities involved; in fact, they profit no matter what happens to the ratepayers!

"The handful of utilities that rushed to sign contracts to build new reactors did not do so because they thought they had an economically attractive product. They did so because they were given a sweetheart deal by their state legislatures that shifted all of the risk of nuclear reactor construction onto ratepayers, while guaranteeing the utility advanced cost recovery and a huge increase in profit by adding a massive amount to their rate base."

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