We Should Pay More? For What?

Elections should be about policy, but instead, and especially in Winter Park, are about things like, “Isn’t she nice” and, “Isn’t he good looking.” Well, here is one real issue you may have an interest in.

Please ask each of the candidates in the March 19 commission elections to state whether they support current Mayor Phil Anderson’s desire to spend over $7,000,000 each year buying overpriced renewable energy, rather than reducing electric prices and/or applying this money to projects that specifically benefit all Winter Park residents.

Our electric bills are the same or lower than those from Duke Energy in the area surrounding Winter Park. We still generate over $7 million every year that has been applied to undergrounding all the overhead lines in the city. This project is now expected to be complete by 2030.

Phil Anderson proposes that when undergrounding is complete, our city should use the $7+ million per year savings to pay for power from renewable energy sources that cost more than that currently provided to us from natural gas fired power plants and other sources in a competitive marketplace.

I see the direct benefit to all residents from the undergrounding program.

What is the direct or indirect benefit to residents from overpaying for power? Please ask Phil to answer this question.

Here is an excerpt from an interesting article on this subject:

• “The scientific effort is noble but becoming more and more beside the point. Long before we know which climate forecasts are right, thanks to the inevitable nerds at the Congressional Research Service or Government Accountability Office we’ll know in detail how many trillions we spent on climate subsidies that had no effect on climate.”

I have a BEV and $20,000+ of solar panels on my roof. Kind of hard to claim I am a climate denier.

What I am is a realist who studies this stuff, looking for a rational approach.

Overpaying for electric power to meet an arbitrary renewable energy goal is not fiduciary governance and will unnecessarily add costs for Winter Park electric customers. Note that Phil is not thinking about electric customers, he is thinking only about those who share his faith that the planet will survive only if we sacrifice our prosperity for an unknown outcome.

Independent of the conjecture in Phil’s thinking, is the reality that all renewable energy put into the grid will be purchased for the foreseeable future regardless of whether Winter Park buys any of it. This is a reason to buy the most cost effective electric power. So, if we go the most cost effective route for our residents, we realize over $7 million per year after 2030 to be applied to things that directly benefit Winter Park residents, AND, Phil still gets to feel good about himself.

Can we please get some serious people on the city commission?

Make your vote count. Contact the candidates on this and any other issues of concern.

Shiela DeCiccio – sheila@sheilaforwinterpark.com – Mayor
Michael Cameron – michael@votemichaelcameron.com – Mayor
Stockton Reeves – stockton4wp@yahoo.com – Commission Seat 2
Craig Russell – crussell9293@gmail.com – Commission Seat 2
Jason Johnson – jason@jasonforwinterpark.com – Commission Seat 2