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FPL rate hike round-up

Friday, September 18th, 2009 by Dara Kam

Florida Power & Light’s proposed $1.3 billion rate hike 13-hour marathon hearing yesterday concluded with one head-injured FPL lawyer, an order for an independent audit of the utility’s corporate jet spending and yet another delay to hear yet more testimony next month.

Public Service Commissioner Nathan Skop demanded the audit to check into the Juno Beach-based utility’s fuzzy accounting for VIPs, their wives and guests who flew, some at customers’ expense, to far-flung destinations including Europe, Martha’s Vineyard and Louisville during the Kentucky Derby.

FPL will have spent at least $32.5 million between 2006 and 2009 on the corporate aircraft travel alone, its records show.

“It’s very important to me that the rate payers of FPL are not being allocated costs that are not prudently incurred,” Skop said.

The discussion of the executive’s flights revealed that FPL Chief Financial Officer Armando Pimentel flew to Tallahassee on the corporate jet, earning a rebuke from Jon Moyle, a lawyer for the Florida Industrial Power Users Group that opposes the rate increase.

(more…)

FPL lawyer conked in the head by opponent to rate hike

Thursday, September 17th, 2009 by Dara Kam

Florida Power & Light Co.’s $1.3 billion rate hike request hearing is temporarily halted – again – because of an injury to one of the utility’s lawyers.

FPL attorney John Butler got hit in the head by a door leaving the hearing room. The door-slinger was Jon Moyle, a 6’4″ lawyer on the other side who was once an offensive lineman for the University of Florida and now represents the Florida Industrial Power Users Group.

Butler, a good six inches shorter than Moyle, has a lump on his forehead and a white butterfly bandage covering a cut near the center of his face. No word yet whether any lawsuits will be filed on the injury.

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