FPL will halt all projects that could have created 20,000 jobs
by Dara Kam | January 14th, 2010Florida Power & Light Co. President Armando Olivera said that utility regulators’ decision to grant the power company just $75 million of its requested $1 billion rate hike this year will cost the state 20,000 new jobs.
He accused the Public Service Commission of politicizing the proposed rate hike, eliciting this response from Commissioner Nathan Skop at the close of yesterday’s 11-hour proceedings.
“The commission’s worked hard to decide this case on the merits in a fair and impartial manner. We were very deliberate in the decisions that we made here today. The reality is that FPL is going to have to make do in difficult economic times,” Skop said. “I know that FPL today is a strong company and no doubt will be a strong company tomorrow. They have an ambitious capital program and will invest in Florida’s future and any suggestion that that should not be achievable would be a complete falsehood.”
Read the full story here.
Tags: Armando Olivera, Florida Power & Light, FPL, PSC, Public Service Commission
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January 14th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Maybe a pay cut for FPL executives can put those 20,000 jobs back on track.
January 14th, 2010 at 8:57 am
I find this story affensive. F.P.L. is a money making machine. They should use there profits to build new facilities not the people’s money of Florida! I have a business and I want to expand.I guess I will call Gov. Crist and ask him to add 3 cents to our sales tax for my companies expansion plans. Get real that would never happen! FPL made billions in profit! It’s time too take from the Stock holders not the People of Florida.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:01 am
This guy Olivera has balls. FPL has a goverment guaranteed return and monopoly. It does not have to sell its product or invent the technology. He is really a defacto Goverment Department head and should be paid accordingly. That is if he is allowed to stay after this outrageous outburst.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:02 am
FPL needs to Clean house with there big wigs. Too many Chiefs not enough Indians. Pay cuts and maybe even a new CEO on reduced salaries.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:04 am
FP&L had started an employment drive outside the state to NON UNION workers. So, really, how much of the 20,000 jobs were for Florida residents who cant pay their mortgages?
If Florida consumers are funding a power plant, like CSX railroad was doing, we dont need billion dollar companies refusing to pay for Florida workers.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Well, so much for green energy for Florida. FPL was on track to make Florida the #1 state for solar power per capita, but this will kill that dream. Thanks, Nathan Skop.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:17 am
PUT A SMALL MUSTACHE ON HIM WHO WOULD HE LOOK LIKE . HMMMMMMMM….. SCARY
January 14th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Gilmore, Does Olivera’s mustache remind you of your lover?
The State of Florida is loosing inhabitants and the unemployment rate is around the 18 percent digit. So FPL has less customers and need a raise. Energy prices are skyrocketing. The Feds, State and local Govs. want a piece of the pie and tax us to death. 2 thieves don’t make it a right.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Gilmore, Does Mr. Olivera’s mustache remind you of your lover?
The State of Florida is loosing inhabitants and the unemployment rate is around the 18 percent digit. So FPL has less customers and need a raise. Energy prices are skyrocketing. The Feds, State and local Govs. want a piece of the pie and tax us to death. 2 thieves don’t make it a right.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
20,000 jobs. what a lie. What about the goverment money they got for going green. Its like taking candy from a baby, they just cry. not jet, no boat no sports tickets. tissue? And i bet they will find another way from them to get money out of us. i think everyone should go solor. then they will have to pay alll of us. than i can get a boat, a jet, club membership, take my family out to eat.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Sounds like extortion to me- “if you don’t allow us to do this, we won’t do that”. Typical corporate big wig attitudes.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Anyone drivin by the HQ in Juno and seen the helipad? or been in the building and seen the onsite gym/daycare/dr.s offices? They have it made there. How about DISCLOSING your salaries like you were told to and cutting all salaries to under $100k? Its a disgrace these execs are making almost $1mil a year when most of us are in foreclosure!
January 14th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I read a recent article on how much those at the top of FPL make in salary and benefits. They could easily give up some of that pay and benefits if they are truely worried about cutting jobs at FPL. Don’t lay irresponsible management at the doorstep of government and the citizens. My pay is frozen and has actually been cut. I have hope for an increase through longevity, merit, COLA…nothing. FPL needs to tighten their belts and find ways to save all of us money and save jobs. Thowing people into unemployment and ultimately out of their homes will only continue to hurt their revenue! Idots!
January 14th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I still have a hard time understanding how 20,000 permanent jobs would be created by one nuclear power plant. If the 20,000 jobs were not permanent, then the comment is pointless.
Will a reporter from the Post or elsewhere please ask how he came up with 20,000 jobs?
January 14th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I agree with everyone on here!!!!
January 14th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
FPL consumer to President Olivera: Oopss, say goodd-bye to multi-million dollar bonuses, unless you figure a way to steal the money, which douchebags like you often do!
January 14th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
my electric bill is way to high and for service i can count on going off and on for whatever stupid reason. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
January 14th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
FPL publishes every year about the profits it makes. I believe it’s time it’s president takes a pay-cut, ditches the bonuses and save 20,000 jobs. Every year we keep getting rate hikes. Thank you Public Service Commissioner’s for finally saying “NO”.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I guess Allah & gitmoloko are sipping the same cool aid. FPL are a bunch of theives. Why all of a sudden 20K in jobs is at stake? FPL will learn people are not dumb. The Business sectin of the paper wrote that FPL needed the increase to get a better interest rate to borrow money. Better interest rate means more $ to pay stock holders.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Olivera should act like an adult. This threatening and punishing tone is for a dictator not a company President. We need someone who does a better job of presenting their story
not a bully!
January 14th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
man threats are so cool. How about we say goodbye to the FPL President.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Screw FPL! $74,000,000. in bonus money for top execs at FPL this year. 12% GP on billions of dollars. The average elec. bill is not under $100. It is over $200. and maybe over $300. Avrg. Send them packing. Take a look how the top execs. live that run FPL. They are attempting to go around the process and get the increase.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
To quote the Monday Night Football Guys… Com’on Man, is he for real!
January 14th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
This is on top of a 1 billion dollar request they are still pursuing.
The investors (stockholders) should be the ones footing the bill for the expansion, not the consumer. Of course, I’m sure that money ended up in the same place they put the Green Energy Program funds. FPL has already proven they can not manage our money wisely.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
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January 15th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Everyone here has no clue. My brother works at FPL and he explain that the base rate is to cover for new investments and not for operations, not for employee bonus. The cost of operations is cover by our bill, so say goodbye to green energy and future savings on cleaner plant. no one in this board knows what it takes to have a light bulb work when you flip the switch. I say flip your mouth off. And stop calling FPL thieves, these are mothers, fathers, brothers sisters, sons and daughter that work very hard every day to provide clean cheap energy to its customer.
January 15th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I forgot to add that the 20,000 jobs were base on not just one project but several, and this is a combination of direct and indirect jobs. The increase that FPL asked was going to be offset by the fuel reduction, the PSC idiots didn’t get it. Look at the rate run by municipalities (Homestead, Tallahaasee) and they wish they are served by FPL, one of lowest rate in the Nation.