Collier County commissioners unanimously urge PSC to oppose proposed FPL rate increase

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution Sept. 9 urging the Florida Public Service Commission to block a proposed Florida Power & Light rate increase tied to a multibillion‑dollar capital plan for solar infrastructure.

Commissioner Hall, who brought the resolution, said he became aware of the proposal at a presentation and described what he characterized as a push by FPL and the PSC to spend roughly $12,000,000,000 on new infrastructure. "They want to do this capital infrastructure, and they want to do it on the public's dime," Hall said in explaining the resolution, which asks state officials to protect consumers from what commissioners characterized as an excessive rate burden.

Public commenters underscored the resolution's affordability rationale. Carolyn Alden told commissioners she is 76 and living on Social Security and said recent bills have made it increasingly difficult to pay for necessities. Soleme Hernandez, a Florida organizer with Food & Water Watch, described paying a $312 bill over two months for a small apartment and said the proposal would "financially burden working families, seniors, veterans, small businesses and vulnerable communities." Hernandez and other speakers told the board that testimony to the PSC had equated the local fiscal impact of the proposal to the equivalent of the salaries of dozens of teachers for the county school system.

Commissioners negotiated edits to the draft resolution during the meeting. They agreed to add a whereas noting FPL's recent record profits and another whereas referencing Office of Public Counsel testimony that, according to commissioners' remarks, recommended reducing rates by $620,000,000 in 2026. Commissioners debated but ultimately retained language signaling the county's interest in seeking alternative energy sources when feasible; staff and the county attorney noted FPL's service‑area franchise and infrastructure ownership would limit immediate supplier changes.

Commissioner Hall moved to adopt the revised resolution and, after a second, the board voted unanimously to send the county's comments into the PSC record.

The resolution will become part of the official record in the FPL rate‑case proceeding and county staff indicated they would send correspondence to state leaders as directed in the document.