TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND THE FLORIDA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO FACILITATE THE EXPEDITIOUS CONVERSION OF OVERHEAD ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES TO UNDERGROUND FACILITIES AND ENCOURAGING FLORIDA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO REFLECT BENEFITS OF CONVERSION IN UTILITY TARIFFS

BODY
WHEREAS, all Florida residents, businesses, and institutions require reliable electric service and a reliable electric distribution infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, in the tropical storm and hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, Florida experienced unprecedented numbers of land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes impacting Florida and Florida residents, and also experienced unprecedented damage to the overhead electric distribution systems of Florida�s electric utilities, resulting in widespread and prolonged outages of electrical power service; and
WHEREAS, numerous long-term forecasts of tropical weather activity indicate that Florida is likely to be impacted by more, and possible more severe, tropical weather events over the next ten to twenty years than were experienced over the period from 1960 to 2003; and
WHEREAS, it is generally recognized that underground electric distribution facilities are significantly more reliable, and less subject to wind damage, than overhead facilities in tropical storms and hurricanes; and
WHEREAS, wide-area conversions of overhead electric distribution facilities to underground facilities are reasonably expected to provide significant reliability, cost savings and other benefits both to customers in the areas converted and also to the utility�s general body of
customers, including, without limitation, reduced or eliminated storm restoration costs in many tropical and other storm events, reduced or eliminated vegetation management (tree-trimming) costs, reduced costs due to damage claims due to electrical contact accidents, preserved revenues, and the substantial economic benefits flowing from reduced and eliminated electric service outages; and
WHEREAS, wide-area underground conversions will result in enhanced traffic safety and few accidents involving vehicles striking overhead electric facilities; and
WHEREAS, wide-area underground conversions will enhance environmental values and aesthetic values; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County and most of its residents are customers of Florida Power & Light Company (�FPL�); and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Underground Utilities Consortium, a group of Florida cities and towns that have joined together to fund a comprehensive evaluation of the costs and benefits of underground conversion projects, and the resulting cost-effectiveness study, has shown that substantial benefits would accrue to FPL and its general body of customers from underground conversions,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. Miami-Dade County believes that the Florida Legislature and all other responsible agencies of Florida government, including the Florida Public Service Commission, should encourage the expeditious conversion of overhead electric distribution facilities to underground facilities to the maximum extent possible.
Section 2. The Florida Legislature and the Florida Public Service Commission are hereby strongly encouraged to ensure that any utility tariff provisions relating to underground electric conversions include and reflect all values that such conversions provide, including not only the specific cost savings benefits, such as reduced storm restoration costs and reduced vegetation management costs, mentioned above, but also the general economic benefits that flow to all residents from reduced outages.
Section 3. If there is a difference of expert opinion as to the values and benefits of underground conversions, the Florida Legislature and the Florida Public Service Commission are hereby strongly encouraged to require utilities subject to its jurisdiction, including FPL, to reflect the greatest justifiable benefits in the utility�s tariffs, so as to encourage expeditious underground conversions to the maximum extent possible.
Section 4. The Clerk of the Board is directed to transmit certified copies of this Resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation, the Florida Public Service Commission, and Florida Power & Light Company.
Section 5. The Board further directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate for the issues identified in this resolution, and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2007 and 2008 state legislative packages.