After news that the Public Service Commission found Duke ratepayers responsible for another 3.2 billion dollars, Representative Amanda Murphy, the newly elected Representative to District 36, has offered the following comments:
“It is outrageous that the Public Service Commission would agree that ratepayers should be held responsible for another 3.2 billion dollars in fees for a power plant that will never be built. There is no question that the Florida Legislature must act now and repeal the irresponsible nuclear cost fee. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the isle to get this burdensome fee off the books,” said Representative Murphy.
In August, Duke Energy canceled its long proposed Levy County nuclear project, despite running up a tab of $1.5 billion by using the so-called nuclear advance fee.
Duke is still pursuing a license from federal regulators, since that process is nearly complete.
Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest utility, continues to pursue construction of two new reactors at its Turkey Point power station. FPL is spending $228.5 million trying to get its federal license.
Meanwhile, experts increasingly say new nuclear plants are no longer economically feasible with the low cost of natural gas.
Material from the Tampa Bay Times was used in this post.
