PSC pushes to make FPL, Progress Energy's salaries public
The Public Service Commission will fight an appellate court's decision not allowing it to publicly disclose salary information for Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida employees.
The PSC ordered utilities to provide detailed salary information last year for employees who earn more than $165,000 -- not including names -- but FPL and Progress said they were concerned about, among other things, competitors poaching their employees if the information was disclosed. The utilities successfully appealed the decision to the First District Court of Appeal.
PSC staff noted that the court said commissioners had the information they needed to do their job and the PSC had trouble relaying why the information should be made public without a "friend of the court" brief from any Florida newspapers or other citizens' or open government groups.
If other groups "added a voice and said, 'We think this ought to be public information,' I think psychologically that would have been helpful," PSC General Counsel Curt Kiser said.
The court noted that the PSC didn't address the utilities' competitive concerns. "Even though these companies are monopolies, there is competition for some of these people and I don't want to infringe on that business area," Commissioner Steve Stevens said.
Skop said the PSC should take another stab at making a more thorough argument. "We got out-maneuvered legally," Skop said. "There are things we could have done better."
Argenziano said the commission should "go the extra mile" when it comes to public records. The commission approved asking the court to reconsider the issue or asking the state Supreme Court to review it by a vote of 3 to 2 with Stevens and Commissioner Lisa Edgar dissenting.
