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Push Made To Delay TECO Vote

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By RUSSELL RAY

rray@tampatrib.com

Published: December 4, 2008

TAMPA - A day before the Tampa City Council planned to vote on a 25-year franchise agreement with Tampa Electric, community leaders urged the council to postpone its vote.

At a news conference Wednesday, environmentalists and neighborhood associations said TECO should be producing more electricity from renewable resources. The agreement prevents businesses from entering into renewable energy contracts with outside power providers, said C.J. Reynolds of the Tampa Homeowners Association, an association of neighborhoods.

Under the franchise agreement, which expired in 2007, TECO pays the city to use the rights of way for power lines. Some see the franchise renewal as an opportunity to require TECO to use more renewable power.

Mandates for renewable power and energy efficiency fall under the state's jurisdiction, but that should not prevent city officials from trying to shape energy policy, said Donald Mellman, co-founder of the local chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

"All pollution is local," he said.

TECO uses coal to produce about 55 percent of its electricity. About 3 percent comes from renewable resources.

TECO spokesman Rick Morera said much of the information shared at the news conference was inaccurate. He said Tampa businesses already can enter into agreements with renewable power providers and that TECO is doing a lot to increase the use of renewable energy.

"We're the only investor-owned utility in the state that has a renewable energy program that allows the consumer to purchase a block of renewable energy for $5 a month," Morera said. "We've got a long track record of being innovative. We're one of the top utilities in the country on energy efficiency programs."

The city council is scheduled to cast a final vote on the agreement during a 1:30 p.m. meeting today at Tampa City Hall.

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