Florida Public Service Commission

The Affordable Energy Reform Act would make electricity rate hike cases more transparent, cap utility returns on equity and tie company profits to efficiency.

The Florida Public Service Commission approved the rate increase Thursday for Florida Power & Light, the state's largest power company, over the strong objections of various groups.

This month, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of a PSC aide and a former Republican state representative to the commission.

The state Public Service Commission is scheduled Nov. 20 to decide whether to approve a proposed settlement that FPL reached with numerous businesses and groups.

The Florida Public Service Commission began what could be a two-week hearing as FPL seeks to increase base electric rates.

Opponents of the proposed settlement want the Florida Public Service Commission to consider the counter proposal. Commission Chair Mike La Rosa on Sept. 12 denied the request.

Data centers are one of the biggest issues in the utility industry nationally, as power companies look for ways to meet the demands of data centers that play a key role in such things as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Florida Power & Light and 10 key stakeholder groups filed a comprehensive four-year rate settlement agreement with state regulators that reduces FPL's original revenue request by approximately 30%.

Details of the potential settlement have not been released, and some parties in the case have not signed on.

Word of a possible settlement adds uncertainty to a closely watched case that has involved FPL seeking rate increases that would lead to customers paying billions of dollars in the coming years.

The Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers in utility issues, filed a notice that it was appealing regulators' approval of the increases, as did the groups Florida Rising and LULAC Florida.

Florida Rising and LULAC Florida filed notices that they were appealing the Public Service Commission's rate approval to the Florida Supreme Court.