Florida PSC News Releases

Florida Public Service Commission Considers Items of Interest at Upcoming Agenda Conference

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The following items are among those scheduled for consideration by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) at the May 20, 2008 Agenda Conference:
ITEM 5: DOCKET NO. 080110-TP – Complaint and Petition for Resolution of Interconnection Pricing Dispute Against Verizon Florida, LLC, by Bright House Networks Information Services, LLC. The Commission will consider a staff recommendation addressing a Motion to Dismiss filed by Verizon.ITEM 15: DOCKET NO. 080184-EQ – Petition for Approval of Standard Offer Contract for Small Qualifying Facilities and Producers of Renewable Energy, by Tampa Electric Company;DOCKET NO. 080187-EQ – Petition for Approval of Amended Standard Offer Contract and COG-2 Rate Schedule, by Progress Energy Florida;DOCKET NO. 080193-EQ – Petition for Approval of Renewable Energy Tariff and Standard Offer Contract, by Florida Power & Light Company, and DOCKET NO. 080194-EQ – Petition for Approval of New Standard Offer for Purchase of Firm Capacity and Energy from Renewable Energy Facilities or Small Qualifying Facilities and Approval of Tariff Schedule REF-1, by Gulf Power Company.The Commission will consider a staff recommendation addressing the process by which the Commission should review the investor-owned utilities’ standard offer contracts and associated tariffs. The Agenda Conference is scheduled for the following time and location: Tuesday, May 20, 20089:30 a.m.Betty Easley Conference CenterJoseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)4075 Esplanade WayTallahassee, FloridaThe Agenda Conference is carried on the Florida Channel (check your local listings). The event is available online by going to www.floridapsc.com and selecting Commission Calendar on the top right of the Web page.The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Customer Meeting Set for St. Joe Natural Gas Company

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will conduct a customer meeting on Monday, May 19, 2008, for customers of St. Joe Natural Gas Company, Inc. (St. Joe). St. Joe has applied for an increase in rates and provides natural gas service to approximately 3,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Port St. Joe, Mexico Beach, Wewahitchka, and unincorporated areas of Gulf County, Florida. The utility’s last full rate case was in 2001.The meeting allows customers to comment on the proposed rates and any quality-of-service issues relevant to the utility. Customers are invited to attend the meeting at the following time and location: MONDAY, May, 1910:00 a.m.Gulf County School BoardBoard Room150 Middle School RoadPort St. Joe, Florida The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Big Bend MatchMaker Creates Opportunities for Florida's Minority Businesses

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

More than 300 minority vendors connected with potential business partners at the 2008 Big Bend MatchMaker today at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee. A partnership of the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) and Department of Management Services, the annual MatchMaker event is designed to help small and minority business owners throughout Florida “match up” with government agencies and companies needing their services.
“Promoting diversity in business relationships is important to Florida’s economic success. This MatchMaker offered attendees opportunities to enhance their business skills, network, and build lasting business partnerships,” said PSC Chairman Matthew M. Carter II. “When Florida’s small businesses succeed, economic security and prosperity flourish in local communities across the state.”Energizing Supplier Diversity through Communication: A Utilities and Telecommunications Initiative was the theme for the 2008 Big Bend MatchMaker. Highlighting Florida’s major utility companies will benefit Florida’s economic development and business growth.Tallahassee Mayor John Marks welcomed attendees to the day-long event that included an informational program on “Doing Business with the State of Florida: Responding to Bids and Navigating the Purchasing Process” and a panel discussion on “Economic Opportunities for Women and Minority Business Enterprises in the Utilities and Telecommunications Industries.” Following a luncheon, with a keynote address from PSC Chairman Carter, attendees had the opportunity to meet with the utility companies or state agencies of their choice for one-on-one 15-minute sessions. Across the state, regional MatchMaker workshops are recognized as signature events for Florida’s minority/women business entrepreneurs. The culmination of the statewide regional workshops is the larger Annual MatchMaker Conference and Tradeshow, which will be held in November 2008 in Orlando. The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.

Customer Meeting Set for Holiday Utility Company

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will conduct a customer meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2008, for customers of Holiday Utility Company, Inc. The utility provides water service to approximately 320 customers in Pasco County and has applied for an increase in rates. The utility’s last full rate case was in 2004.The meeting allows customers to comment on the proposed rates and any quality-of-service issues relevant to the utility. Customers are invited to attend the meeting at the following time and location: Wednesday, May 14, 20085:00 p.m.City of New Port RicheyCouncil Chamber5919 Main StreetNew Port Richey, FloridaThe PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Florida Public Service Commission Approves Budget for Florida Relay Service

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today approved the 2008-2009 budget for the Florida Relay Service (FRS), keeping the rate at last year’s level. The FRS provides critical access to basic telecommunications services for Florida’s deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, and speech impaired citizens by using special telephone equipment and a communications assistance operator to relay information.“The Florida Relay Service gives the gift of telecommunication to those who could not otherwise use the telephone,” said PSC Chairman Matthew M. Carter. “Through the program, Florida’s nearly three million impaired residents are connected to vital emergency and community services, offering peace of mind to their families.” Florida telephone customers finance the program through an 11-cent charge on their bill, which the Commission voted to keep at the same level for fiscal year 2008-2009. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, FRS facilitates telephone calls between people with hearing and speech disabilities and other individuals. The impaired person uses a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf which includes a keyboard and screen to contact a communications assistant, who then voices the message to the receiving party. The reverse process completes messages to the hearing impaired person. An FRS call may be initiated by a person with or without a hearing or speech disability.For information on how to obtain the special equipment, call FTRI at 1-800-222-3448 (Voice) or 1-888-447-5620 (Text Telephone/TTY) or visit http://www.ftri.org.The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Florida Public Service Commission Encourages Water Conservation, Drop By Drop

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

“Let’s conserve water drop by drop and save money on our water bills while we’re doing it,” urged Matthew Carter II, Chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), in celebration of this year’s National Drinking Water Week, May 4-10.
To observe National Drinking Water Week, Chairman Carter also unveiled the PSC’s new brochure, Drop by Drop, which highlights the value of water and how consumers can save money by conserving water. “We hear the word, conservation, especially in events such as National Drinking Water Week, but do we truly recognize its importance? We should continue to think about our precious water supply throughout the year and learn what we can do daily to help protect it,” Chairman Carter said.The brochure is available on the PSC’s Website http://www.psc.state.fl.us/publications/consumer/brochure/WaterHouse.pdf. Brochure tips include: Florida water facts, how to read your water meter, and ways to conserve water inside and outside the home, such as using the dishwasher with full loads only and using a timed outdoor sprinkler.For more than 30 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) has celebrated National Drinking Water Week—an opportunity for both water professionals and the consumers they serve to join together to recognize the importance of water. See AWWA’s Web site www.awwa.org/advocacy/dww for more information about National Drinking Water Week.The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com or call 1-800-342-3552.

Customer Meeting Set for Orangewood Lakes Services

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will conduct a customer meeting on Wednesday, May 7, 2008, for customers of Orangewood Lakes Services, Inc. The utility provides water service to approximately 223 water and 190 wastewater customers in Pasco County and has applied for an increase in rates. This is the utility’s first rate case.The meeting allows customers to comment on the proposed rates and any quality-of-service issues relevant to the utility. Customers are invited to attend the meeting at the following time and location: Wednesday, May 7, 20086:00 p.m.Commission Chambers Board Room, Suite 160West Pasco Government Center7530 Little RoadNew Port Richey, Florida The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Florida Public Service Commission Considers Items of Interest at Upcoming Agenda Conference

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The following items are among those scheduled for consideration by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) at the May 6, 2008 Agenda Conference:
ITEM 3: DOCKET NO. 040763-TP – Request for submission of proposals for relay service, beginning in June 2005, for the hearing and speech impaired, and other implementation matters in compliance with the Florida Telecommunications Access System Act (TASA) of 1991. The Commission will consider a staff recommendation addressing Florida Telecommunication Relay, Inc.’s 2008-2009 fiscal-year budget and replacement of two members of the TASA committee who have resigned.ITEM 7: DOCKET NO. 080230-TL – Review of Tariff Filing (T-080233) by Verizon Florida LLC to Establish Bill Credit Trial. The Commission will consider a staff recommendation addressing whether the tariff should be allowed to remain in effect, or be canceled, under Section 364.057(1), Florida Statutes.The Agenda Conference is scheduled for the following time and location: Tuesday, May 6, 20089:30 a.m.Betty Easley Conference CenterJoseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)4075 Esplanade WayTallahassee, FloridaThe Agenda Conference is carried on the Florida Channel (check your local listings). The event is available online by going to www.floridapsc.com and selecting Commission Calendar on the top right of the Web page. The PSC is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive their electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater services in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner. The PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in the areas of rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.