The new woman in charge of Duke Energy Corporation thinks Floridians aren't charged enough to pay for nuclear power plants that, based on recent events, may never be built.
The Associated Press reported that according to a financial analyst, Duke CEO Lynn Good recently referred "specifically to this issue of backward-looking rate-making."
However a 2006 law passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature allowed Progress Energy, who Duke recently merged with, to charge for upgrades to their now shuttered nuclear power plant at Crystal River and a proposed plant in Levy County.
The quote apparently stunned Pinellas County House Democrat Dwight Dudley, "Frankly, the only way it could be easier for the utilities to take our money is if we handed over our wallets and closed our eyes." He went on to say that "current law has granted Duke and the other power companies a virtual taxing authority in Florida. They can take as much of our money as they'd like—few questions asked, no end in sight."
This article appears in Jul 11-17, 2013.