INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The Board of County Commissioners will send a letter to Florida Power and Light to find out if the power provider would be interested in absorbing 19,000 customers who live in the county but are on the City of Vero Beach Electric Utility.
Commission Chair Peter O’Bryan said that he would prefer to see the city work out an agreement with its new power provider, Orland Utility Commission, that would be fair and equitable to all customers. However, he said that sending the letter to FPL would serve as a Plan B.
“This just opens the dialogue,” Commissioner Bob Solari said, adding that it does not commit the county to do anything.
The letter came at the request of the county’s Utility Advisory Committee, which met last month and suggested a letter be sent.
The county’s letter comes more than a month after the City of Vero Beach sent a letter to the same power provider asking if the company would be interested in buying all or part of the city’s electric utility.
Last month, FPL responded, saying that it would need more information before it could make a determination.
The Vero Beach City Council was expected to discuss FPL’s letter at its council meeting today.
