Who gets credit for Florida's nuclear advance fee law, one of worst in state history?

[bananas]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/who-gets-credit-for-nuclear-advance-fee-law-one-of-worst-in-state-history/2135706

Who gets credit for nuclear advance fee law, one of worst in state history?

Robert TrigauxRobert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist

Friday, August 9, 2013 4:02pm

Rarely in 22 years of writing about the Tampa Bay business scene have I received so many emails and calls from frustrated and angry readers with the same request.

By name, they ask, who is responsible for this evil 2006 law passed by the Florida Legislature? They're talking about the measure that let big power companies charge customers years in advance for high-priced nuclear power plants that may or may not ever be built. That law authorized companies to keep the money charged in advance — even if the project is canceled.

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Ask most state legislators today about the impact of the advance fee and many still parrot the power company argument. Charging customers advance fees saves money in the long run, they say.

But for whom? Certainly not current customers who must pay more each month. Certainly not for any future customer when projects like the Levy plant and Crystal River are ultimately canceled or shut down.

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So who's legislatively responsible for this mess? In addition to original sponsors Hasner and Constantine, two dozen lawmakers who voted for the measure remain in the Legislature. Four of those are from the Tampa Bay area. They are Sen. Charles Dean, R; Sen. Arthenia L. Joyner, D; Sen. Tom Lee, R; and Sen. John Legg, R.

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Via http://nuclear-news.net/2013/08/10/when-the-nuclear-industry-buys-florida-politicians-they-stay-bought/

[bananas]

1. Argenziano documented her insider's look at the energy bill in a piece in the Tampa Bay Times

Last year, Nancy Argenziano, a state senator in 2006 who went on to chair the Florida PSC, laid out the "execrable" (her word, meaning extremely bad) energy measure and its deceptive path taken to become state law. Argenziano acknowledges voting for the overall energy package, but explains the deceptive process.

"I did so unaware that the bill I had read had been amended in an unaffiliated committee by then-Sen. Jeff Atwater, now Florida's chief financial officer, at the behest of the bill's sponsor, Sen. Lee Constantine," Argenziano said. "There was no mention of prepay costs recovery on the Senate floor. Had there been, that might have alerted some senators of the major policy shift and that the fox was in the henhouse."

The measure's real intent — letting power companies bill its customers more rather than making shareholders help finance big nuclear projects — was disguised to many who voted for it. Argenziano documented her insider's look at the energy bill in a March 2012 piece in the Tampa Bay Times.

[kristopher]

2. Thank you for the addendum.

The tactics of the nuclear industry are just as disreputable as those of any other corporate entity and, because of the lack of transparency that permeates it, it is actually worse than most.