Florida commission won't reconsider Tampa Electric's rate hikes
The Florida Public Service Commission upheld its approval of Tampa Electric's controversial rate increase, which the state's consumer advocate called "egregiously excessive."
Why it matters: Tampa Electric's 775,000 residential customers across Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties are now paying at least $109 more a year due to the rate hike that took effect in January.
Catch up quick: In December, the commission signed off on Tampa Electric's plan to increase rates by $185 million in 2025, with increases of $86.6 million in 2026 and $9.1 million in 2027 expected to follow.
The increase shifted the cost burden from large companies to residential customers and smaller businesses.
The state Office of Public Counsel and consumer groups — Florida Rising and LULAC Florida — asked the commission to reconsider its approval of the rate hikes in February.
The latest: The commission on Tuesday refused to reconsider Tampa Electric's rate hike but agreed to correct a calculation error identified by the Office of Public Counsel.
Between the lines: Commission staff said in a recommendation that the approval of TECO's rate hike was "reasonable" and well-supported.
Staff cited, in part, Tampa Electric's "unique risks" as a concentrated service area vulnerable to hurricanes.
The Office of Public Counsel argued in its Feb. 18 filing that Tampa Electric's storm risk is addressed via existing tools, such as the Storm Cost Recovery Mechanism.
TECO used the mechanism after hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, adding $20 to residents' monthly bills on top of this year's rate increases.
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Tourism board hopeful despite early, slightly downward trends
Jun. 9—As spring marches toward summer, there are troubling signs for the county's tourism recovery following Helene. The downward trends are reflected across Western North Carolina as a whole, but Haywood County's Tourism Development Authority remains cautiously optimistic that the industry will bounce back to pre-flood, post-pandemic levels, both as news that WNC is open for business continues to spread, and as Haywood's unique features as a tourist destination continue to shine. That hope, tempered with the reality of economic signs, was reflected in the TDA estimates for how much room occupancy tax it would collect this fiscal year — $3 million. Last fiscal year's estimate was $3.1 million. This year marks the first time since COVID that Haywood's tourism experts predicted a drop in that revenue stream. According to a document produced by the TDA, this "reflects a return to pre-Hurricane Helene collection levels. 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The time between booking dates and actual stays has decreased from a historical average of just under two months to around one month, Ruffieux said. This reflects tourists' uncertain outlook on the economy — people are less willing to book vacations as far in advance as they used to. The TDA generally believes that this leaves them the opportunity to continue messaging throughout the summer, hopefully with the result of attracting visitors in the short-term. And, Board Chair Jim Owens pointed out, things may not be changing anytime soon. " That's the whole point of us wanting to be aggressive with our messaging. Keep the message going out. Let them make a decision, whether it's a week from now, two weeks from now, whatever," he said. "I think we're gonna have to live with this for a while." 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