Utility Company Spent 76 Percent Of Renewable Energy Funds On Administration

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Here's one for the "What were they thinking?" file. An audit report from the Florida Public Service Commission makes it seem as if Florida Power and Light (FPL) saw renewable power as "the competition" instead of as a way to do good by doing well.

The voluntary program charges FPL customers $9.75 per month - on top of the regular energy bill - to help develop alternative power sources...Public Service Commission staff said only 24 percent of the $11.4 million collected from customers went toward developing renewable energy. The rest went to marketing and administrative costs.

And this, at a time when energy bills are increasing consumer pain. The good news: management systems can be improved. The bad news: complete loss of credibility for the program.

Imagine what the public reaction would be if only a quarter of the money collected for carbon offsets by an offset vendor actually went to "offset" something? The outrage would be enormous and lasting.

Enough to drive a good man (or woman) off-grid.

Via::Forbes.com, Report: FPL green energy program misleading Image credit::Excerpt from cover sheet of Activities Pursuant to the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (pdf file)