The Florida Public Service Commission will begin three days of hearings Wednesday on requests from TECO Energy Inc., Progress Energy Inc. and other investor-owned utilities to recover rising fuel costs by increasing customers' bills.
The PSC voted last week to separate hearings into Tampa Electric Co.'s controversial coal-transport contract with sibling TECO Transport from this week's hearings.
But it turns out that's not the only coal-transport contract courting controversy. Progress Energy Florida also relies on a subsidiary for waterborne coal transportation. Critics say the subsidiary is using an outdated pricing formula for its rates that allows it to charge more than market prices.
In addition, consumer advocacy attorney Mike Twomey claims the St. Petersburg utility is trying to bar him from intervening on grounds he filed to do so too late. Progress spokesman Aaron Perlut says the company hasn't decided whether to contest the participation of Twomey, who earlier this year helped pressure the PSC to force Progress to pay a larger rate refund than it had planned.
