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Business trends for 2006
Energy
Efficiency is goal as demand soars
By LOUIS HAU
Published January 8, 2006
The energy industry's challenges in 2006 boil down to this: how to find the cheapest ways - in an era of rising energy prices - to generate electricity and keep up with Florida's rising population.
By the end of March, Progress Energy Florida of St. Petersburg is expected to choose a site in the state for a potential new nuclear plant with one or two reactors.
As the year rolls on, all Florida electric utilities will be keeping an eye out for further spikes in the price of coal, natural gas and oil. Higher fuel costs in 2005 and projections of further rises in 2006 led to rate hikes of about 12 percent this month for residential customers of Progress and Tampa Electric.
If fuel prices surge ahead of expectations, further rate increases are likely. Look for more talk about alternative fuels but no large-scale movement quite yet.
Progress Energy also may face more questions from consumer advocates regarding concerns raised last fall about the utility's coal purchases from a fellow Progress affiliate at allegedly higher prices than were paid to other suppliers.
Finally, two unusually active storm seasons in a row will likely spur more public scrutiny of utility tree-trimming and other storm preparations as the seemingly inevitable hurricanes arrive this summer.
[Last modified January 8, 2006, 11:22:13]
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