Regulators Ready to Grapple With Gulf Power Rates

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By JIM SAUNDERS
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 16, 2017……… State regulators are poised to hear arguments about a request from Gulf Power to raise base electric rates for hundreds of thousands of customers in Northwest Florida, amid opposition from consumer, business and environmental groups.

The Florida Public Service Commission is scheduled Monday to begin a multi-day hearing on Gulf’s request for a $106.8 million base-rate increase. Pensacola-based Gulf provides electricity to about 450,000 customers in eight counties and is one of four major investor-owned utilities in the state.

In a document filed last month in advance of the hearing, Gulf said the increase is needed “both to continue to provide reasonable and adequate service to its customers and simultaneously to recover the costs of providing that service including a reasonable and adequate rate of return on invested capital.”