EDF appeal seeks court review of costly, unsupported Florida transmission project that ignored lower-cost alternatives

Environmental Defense Fund has appealed the Florida Public Service Commission's approval of Florida Power & Light's $782 million Andytown-Oasis Transmission Lines Project to the Florida Supreme Court. As one of the most expensive local transmission projects the Commission has ever approved, the proposed Andytown-Oasis line warrants rigorous, independent review to ensure it is needed and represents the most cost-effective solution before customers are asked to pay for it.

Instead, the Commission approved the project despite strong evidence the utility had failed to demonstrate the project is justified or represented the most cost-effective solution for FPL’s customers in Miami-Dade County. The utility also failed to consider alternatives that could make more efficient use of existing transmission infrastructure or provide regional connections benefiting a larger group of customers, either of which could have maintained reliability for FPL’s customers at lower cost.

"When customers are being asked to front the bill for a massive $782 million decades-long project, regulators have a responsibility to get the decision right,” said Adam Kurland, Attorney, U.S. Clean Energy. “Major infrastructure investments should be supported by sound evidence and undergo a thorough evaluation – including consideration of more cost-effective alternatives that could better serve customers – before they are approved."

Although EDF had just 13 days to review FPL’s proposal and prepare expert testimony, we identified significant flaws in the utility's analysis and helped ensure those concerns became part of the record. Filed on behalf of EDF’s tens of thousands of members in Florida, our appeal asks the Florida Supreme Court to ensure major infrastructure investments are supported by a complete record, sound analysis and appropriate regulatory review before costs are passed on to customers – at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet.

EDF is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment, with tens of thousands of members in Florida and decades of experience advancing clean, affordable energy solutions for Floridians. As part of that work, EDF advocates for well-planned transmission investments that provide efficient, reliable electricity, protect customers from unnecessary costs and expand access to low-cost clean energy resources.

Read more in our Energy Exchange blog post.