Why can FPL pay the difference in cost?
As a regulated utility, FPL is required to provide safe, reliable, low cost electric service to its customers. The Florida Public Service Commission authorizes the rates FPL can charge its customers and determines what costs can be included in those rates. It is the Public Service Commission’s policy, and FPL agrees, that it is unfair to charge all of FPL’s customers to bury a line in a particular area when a particular person or locality requested placing that line underground. Consequently, FPL may only bury lines when another entity agrees to pick up the differential cost between underground and overhead construction. FPL has approximately 6,500 miles of transmission lines on its system. Less than 100 miles are underground.
