AARP Florida seeks your help in opposing a bill that is bad for all FPL customers. Please read. Share. Contact the committee members and ask them to vote NO.

The proposed Utility Investment in Gas Reserves legislation (House Bill 1043) by Rep. Brodeur could cost residential ratepayers millions. If passed, this bill would set up a regulatory framework that would allow public utilities (Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric and Gulf Power) to invest in oil and gas exploration (which involves fracking) in other states and recoup the cost from residential customers.

Under this legislation, utilities would have to rely on natural gas to generate at least 65 percent of their electricity to be eligible to recover money from customers for such investments. Currently, Florida Power & Light is the only electric utility that uses that much natural gas.

Last year, the Florida Supreme Court rejected a move by Florida Power & Light to invest ratepayer money in a controversial Oklahoma natural-gas project. Justices ruled that the Florida Public Service Commission didn't have legal authority in 2014 to approve FPL's request to invest in the drilling and production of natural gas in what is known as the Oklahoma Woodford Gas Reserves Project.

If passed, this legislation would allow public utilities to charge you for the cost of risky investments. This is bad public policy and a risky business venture that would be funded by you, the residential ratepayers. This bill is up for a vote in the House Energy, and Utilities Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 28 at noon ET. Call the Representative on the committee today and tell them to vote NO!

 Tell your Representative:

• Florida electric companies shouldn't be allowed to use ratepayer dollars to invest in risky natural gas reserve development (much less in Oklahoma).
• FPL has already lost hundreds of millions of dollars on this venture that was struck down by the courts.
• Gas exploration is the purview of private companies and developers, not investor-owned electric utilities.
• We should not let a regulated monopoly use our electric bill as a source of financing for risky business ventures.  
• We should not have to pay to support fracking in other states.
• This is not allowed anywhere else in the country. 

 Call or email Representatives on the committee: