The April 19 Associated Press story New standards proposed for energy efficiency programs created the wrong impression regarding Florida Power & Light's commitment to energy conservation. FPL operates the No. 1 energy-conservation program in the country, according to the Department of Energy. Our programs have allowed the company to avoid building 12 medium-sized power plants since 1980, more than any other utility. The result: millions of dollars in cost savings for FPL customers and the avoidance of millions of tons of carbon-dioxide emissions.
The article also suggested that FPL does not support various incentive programs. Not true. Rebates for energy-efficient air conditioners? FPL offers them. Handing out compact fluorescent bulbs? FPL has distributed bulbs to residential and business customers. Offering incentives to install insulation? We've been doing that since 1981. We offer many other programs, including home-energy audits, low-income home-weatherization assistance and Build Smart, which certifies new home construction as energy efficient.
Over the next 10 years, we expect to meet 25 percent of the increase in energy demand through conservation programs. Energy efficiency has been called the ''fifth fuel'' by some, after coal, natural gas, nuclear and renewables such as wind and solar. At FPL, we must show that we have exhausted all cost-effective, energy-efficiency options before we add a single megawatt of generation. As a result, energy efficiency is the ''first fuel'' for us, and has been for decades.
What we do not support is forcing all customers to pay higher electric rates to subsidize the energy-efficiency choices of a few. Those who engage in conservation efforts already benefit from lower electric bills. To subsidize them further through rate increases on all customers seems unfair.
Conservation is an extremely valuable tool, but it is not a silver bullet. Florida is a state with growing energy needs, and an overreliance on conservation will leave customers vulnerable to higher rates and decreased reliability. That is why Florida lawmakers and regulators decided to allow utilities to recover the cost of their investment in nuclear power -- to encourage additional clean generation now, when we have time to plan, as opposed to in the future, when it may be too late.
ARMANDO OLIVERA, president, Florida Power & Light Co., Juno Beach
