Wed
Jul 30 2008
07:32 am
Florida Power & Light green energy program shutdown: fraud?
By: bizgrrl

Apparently FPL only used 25% of the money customers voluntarily paid for renewable energy projects on anything related to renewable energy. Most of that was spent on out of state renewable energy credits. The majority of the money was spent on administrative, marketing and management expenses.

After allowing the company to collect over $11 million in just less than five years, the State of Florida decides to do an audit. Florida will now decide whether the customers are due a refund or if FPL gets a second chance to invest in renewable energy projects.

This is just one reason I am wary to make a donation through a business. You can pay money to a local utility to help the less fortunate pay their bills. You can add a dollar or more at your local grocer to donate to a variety of charities. You can drop a dollar in a can to help a local cause. How do you ever know where your money goes? Is it just a feel good moment gone bad?

Topics:
reform4's picture

The State..

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2008/07/30 - 7:58am.

The State Attorney General should charge them with fraud and deceptive advertising practices.

-----------------------------------------
Fighting for Reform and Representation, Fourth District
Steve Drevik, Commission Seat 4-B
(link...)

RayCapps's picture

Doesn't look good...

Submitted by RayCapps on Wed, 2008/07/30 - 10:57am.

I'm not familiar with the FPL program, but most special fund programs come complete with a guarantee that a specified percentage of the funds would be used to support the specified purpose. That guarantee constitutes a contract that must be honored by the company even if the monies raised fail to pay for the overhead of the special fund. It would have taken some pretty slick legal phrasing to make out of state credits count as renewable energy projects. Even if the particular parsing was that clever, FPL could still lose on a "willfully misleading" judgment, right? Law is way outside my realm.

In the case of the "add a dollar" programs Bizgrrl referenced above, it is customary - but not universal - that the hosting business "donates" the overhead cost of managing and marketing the program and all monies collected go to the specified cause. The Weigel's folks provide a wonderful example of that tradition. The Arby's Coupon Book is another example of a very well run program. I focus my own charitable giving directly to the United Way umbrella but frequently am enticed to the instant gratification of one of those "add a dollar" programs. They do make you feel good about choosing roast beef sandwich over a Quarter Pounder.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

TN Progressive

TN Politics

Knox TN Today

Local TV News

News Sentinel

    State News

    Wire Reports

    Lost Medicaid Funding

    To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)

    Search and Archives