HOUSE TARGETS CHANGES IN UTILITY REGULATION
By JIM SAUNDERS
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 8, 2017……… With a key lawmaker pointing to a need for “fresh thinking,” a House panel Wednesday approved a proposal that would revamp regulation of Florida’s electric utilities.
The bill would require that members of the Florida Public Service Commission be appointed from five different regions of the state, move a consumer advocate’s office under the attorney general and create a performance-based incentive system for utilities.
“I believe it injects some much-needed fresh thinking into how we regulate utilities in this state,” said House Energy & Utilities Chairwoman Kathleen Peters, a Treasure Island Republican whose subcommittee voted 11-2 to approve the measure (PCB EUS 17-01).
The proposal, in part, would affect the future makeup of the Public Service Commission, a five-member panel that regulates utilities. It would require commissioners to be appointed from different regions that would mirror the map of the state’s five district courts of appeals. Commission members, who are appointed by the governor after a nominating process, do not currently face geographic restrictions, but Peters said the proposed change would increase the diversity of the commission.
