FPL, pushing back on rate increase critics, says bills are low while reliability is up | Opinion 

Misguided and loose with the facts, Catalyst Miami’s July 7 piece, FPL’s hoped-for $2 billion hike in electric bills is too much for Miami families, utterly misses the mark and demonstrates how out-of-touch this self-described advocacy group is with our community. Look no further than the timing of their submission. Just as Hurricane Elsa battered the Florida coastline, they argued that FPL should not continue investing to make our grid even smarter and more resilient.

To tug on your heartstrings, they also want you to believe that FPL stood idly by during the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, FPL did more than any other utility in Florida to swiftly support customers by providing over $75 million in programs and initiatives, including a special bill credit for qualifying low-income customers.

In an attempt to get you angry, this group repeats mistruths of the past to paint FPL as anti-solar. The fact is, no one has done more to advance solar energy than Florida Power & Light Company. We own and operate more solar power plants than any utility in America, including a nearly 500-acre site in western Miami-Dade County, which was even pictured in the story! And, we’re ahead of schedule for our plan to install 30 million solar panels in Florida by 2030 – the largest solar buildout by any utility in the country.

Sadly, this group cherry-picks and misrepresents data to claim FPL has high bills. Wrong. The fact is, FPL bills are 30 percent below the national average and lower today than they were 15 years ago. That’s in stark contrast to the cost of so many other goods and services we all pay for these days.

While FPL bills have gone down, reliability has increased nearly 40 percent since 2006 and FPL is now ranked one of the most reliable in America. You’d be hard-pressed to find any product or service on par with FPL’s track record, which is exactly why customers can have confidence supporting our plan.

FPL delivers America’s best energy value — electricity that’s not just clean and reliable, but also affordable. We consistently do this through proven and disciplined long-term investments in infrastructure, clean energy and innovative technology.

And, that’s where our plan comes in. It would phase in new rates over the next four years, which allows us to continue making smart investments as we work to build a more resilient and sustainable energy future that all of us can depend on, including future generations.

This includes continuing to build a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid. It also includes investments in even more solar, the world’s largest solar-powered battery and innovative green hydrogen technology — which could one day unlock 100 percent carbon-free electricity.

Importantly and conveniently omitted from this group’s submission, FPL typical residential bills would remain among the lowest in Florida and well below the national average through 2025.

To tackle the very real challenges ahead in a rapidly growing state on the front lines of climate change, Floridians deserve FPL’s bold and decisive actions rooted in fact and reality.

This group’s stale, out-of-touch rhetoric aims to solicit donations, not find real-world solutions.

I trust readers of the Miami Herald will recognize the difference.

Dave Reuter is the chief communications officer for Florida Power & Light Company

This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 2:52 PM.