Lucas,
It's hard to believe, but
millions of hard working Floridians like you are currently paying higher utility bills – a nuclear tax – for nuclear power plants that may never be built. In 2006, the legislature passed a law allowing utility companies to charge customers upfront for the future construction of nuclear plants, even if they don't actually build one. And get this, if they don't build one, and because of skyrocketing costs it's looking more and more like they won't, we don't get our money back.
The 2006 "nuclear cost recovery" law shifts the risk of building new nuclear reactors from shareholders to consumers because Wall Street won't finance them. This means higher bills and no real assurance of getting even a kilowatt of power in return and that's exactly what's happening so far. Florida consumers are paying higher monthly utility bills while utilities like Progress Energy and Florida Power and Light won't commit to turning even one shovel of dirt for a new nuclear plant. In short, it's the same old game: saddle the public with the financial risk and let the large corporations reap all the gains. We lose and they win.
Here's the other hard truth: nuclear power isn't economical, and Florida really doesn't need expensive new nuclear power plants, especially since costs have more than tripled. Thanks to a combination of low energy fuel prices, better energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, and the increasing affordability of energy alternatives like solar, Florida's energy needs can be met reliably with less costly, less risky options.
Sign our petition to the Florida Legislature calling for an end to the unjust Nuclear Tax.
It's not too late to stop Florida ratepayers from having to fork over billions of dollars to big utilities for power plants that may never get built or throwing good money after bad for nuclear projects that make no sense. The legislature is considering legislation to amend or repeal the Nuclear Tax right now. Sign our petition today and let's start putting pressure on our legislators to do the right thing.
For progress,
Mark and the rest of the Progress Florida team