Josh Hafenbrack and Julie Patel
South Florida Sun-Sentinel


Tallahassee - A state regulator on Thursday called for an independent financial audit into Florida Power & Light Co.'s use of corporate jets, an emerging flash point in the lengthy, high-profile fight over the utility's request for a record rate increase.

The state's Public Service Commission, battered by conflict-of-interest allegations related to PSC staffers' ties to FPL employees, announced a two-month delay on its decision setting power rates for 4.5 million Florida customers. Under state law, FPL can boost rates in January even without a PSC decision. It would have to refund customers if the state later rejects the hike.

Also on Thursday, state Sen. Dan Gelber, D- Miami Beach, filed legislation that would give the state Cabinet a say in appointing commissioners and ban communication between state regulators and utilities.

"There needs to be adequate space between regulators and those they regulate," Gelber said recently. "They decide how much people pay and in hard times you want to make sure the decision-making is based on facts."

Corporate jet use emerged during FPL's bid for a $1.3 billion annual increase. During a second day of testimony Thursday, Commissioner Nathan Skop called for an independent financial audit into FPL's use of three corporate jets.

FPL has charged power customers $25 million from 2006 to 2008 to fly executives and company officials on business trips.


Spotted here

By LESLIE SCISM

Burgeoning state-created insurance pools that provide hurricane coverage in coastal areas have fueled a perception that rich homeowners are getting too good a deal. A new law in North Carolina asks both coastal and inland policyholders to give ground.

Under the law, which took effect late last month, coastal-area homeowners covered by the insurance pool can get $750,000 of coverage per dwelling, half of the $1.5 million previously available. About 3,000 homeowners who need more than $750,000 in coverage will go to private insurers to get the rest, at possibly much-higher prices.

BY JOSE PAGLIERY

The Florida Turnpike was closed entirely Monday morning after a fuel tanker overturned, spilling flammable liquid across the highway.

The 2:30 a.m. incident occurred just north of Okeechobee Road when the fuel tanker collided with a white van, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The crash sent the van's driver flying out of the car, causing him serious injuries, paramedics said.

By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Kay, Associated Press Writer – Fri Sep 11, 5:01 pm ET
MIAMI – It may be tempting the weather gods just to point this out, but this has been a dud of a hurricane season so far.

Only two hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic over the past three months, and neither hit the U.S. — a somewhat unusual lull.

"I'm glad that I didn't have to go out and get anything — yet," said Lissette Galiana, who was shopping at a Wal-Mart in suburban Miami on Friday, around what is usually the very peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.