TAMPA, Fla. – Consumer rights activists have filed an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court for the approval of TECO base rate hikes. 

On Monday, Florida Rising and The League of United Latin American Citizens filed the appeal through Earthjustice, a non-profit environmental law firm.

In December, the Public Service Commission approved monthly $9 to $13 base rate increases for TECO’s 844,000 customers over three years, starting in January 2025. 

The backstory:

The three-year plan would allow TECO to collect $281 million for power plant improvements and additional solar facilities. 

TECO said those projects would save customers money in the long run.

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Last month, the Public Service Commission (PSC) also gave TECO the green light to temporarily raise rates to make up for the cost of last year’s destructive hurricane season. 

TECO is seeking $463.6 million to pay for damages, and the 9,500 out-of-state line workers brought in to help restore power to most customers within seven days of the storms. 

The PSC allowed TECO to collect those funds over 18 months, raising monthly bills by an estimated $20.

What they’re saying:

Bradley Marshall, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice, filed an appeal against the base rate increase. 

“Unfortunately, TECO’s bills just keep going up, and we want to do what we can within the law and the facts that we presented to try to minimize these bill impacts,” Marshall said.

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The Florida Supreme Court is required to hear their case.

The State of Florida Office of Public Counsel, a government organization that represents all utility customers, has also taken action against the base rate hike. 

What’s next:

On February 18, the office filed a Motion for the Public Service Commission to reconsider the rate hike. 

A spokesperson said the office has also filed a Notice of Attempt to Appeal the rate hike.

According to the Motion to Reconsider, the rate approved by the PSC gives TECO an expected return on equity of 10.5%, even though the PSC staff recommended that commissioners approve a 10.3 return on equity.  

Documents state the difference is millions of dollars more for the power company. 

The PSC has not yet responded to the Motion to Reconsider.

On Tuesday afternoon, multiple power companies, including TECO, will appear before the Florida Senate to discuss the Storm Protection Plan and the Storm Cost Recovery Clause, which decides how storm costs are calculated. 

The Public Service Commission and the State of Florida Office of Public Counsel are also expected to speak. 

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