Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1062
       
       
        
       By Senator Stargel
       
       
       
       
       
       15-01261-15                                           20151062__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to an electric power rate study;
    3         requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
    4         Government Accountability to conduct a study to
    5         determine the average rates, charges, and expenses of
    6         providing electricity; specifying requirements for the
    7         study; directing the Office of the Public Counsel and
    8         the Florida Public Service Commission to provide
    9         assistance in obtaining the required information as
   10         requested; requiring the report to be provided to the
   11         Legislature by a specified date; providing an
   12         effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
   17  Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a comparative
   18  rate analysis to examine the average rates and charges imposed
   19  by electric utilities for each class of customer and to assess
   20  the utilities’ average expenses for each class of customer,
   21  including the cost of power generation and distribution. The
   22  data must be summarized for the investor owned utilities,
   23  municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives of the state. In
   24  reviewing the rates and charges by customer class, OPPAGA shall
   25  disaggregate and separately identify the taxes, fees, franchise
   26  expenses or other major expenses that are part of the net cost
   27  of power generation. The study shall separately identify the
   28  state, regional, and locally imposed government fees associated
   29  with power generation in the state and analyze the impact of
   30  such fees on the cost of power generation and on overall
   31  customer rates. After computing and analyzing the average rates
   32  and charges by customer class, OPPAGA shall compare the rates
   33  against average rates and charges of other states in the
   34  southeastern United States.
   35         (2) The Office of the Public Counsel and the Florida Public
   36  Service Commission shall assist in obtaining the required
   37  information if such assistance is requested by OPPAGA.
   38         (3) By December 1, 2015, the Office of Program Policy
   39  Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit a report
   40  comprising the information specified in subsection (1) to the
   41  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
   42  Representatives, and the standing legislative committees with
   43  substantive jurisdiction over electric utilities or finance and
   44  taxation.
   45         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.