The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a Florida Power Corp. plan to curtail its purchases from qualifying cogeneration facilities (QFs) during minimum load conditions. The PSC said that minimum load conditions typically occur between midnight and 6:00 a.m. when weather is mild and system demand low, and that the utility had curtailed QF purchases seven times in late 1994 and early 1995. The PSC rejected QF allegations that the curtailment program was really an effort to obtain dispatch rights that the utility had not negotiated in its
purchased-power contracts. The QFs argued that Florida Power should be required to minimize all interutility offsystem purchases and to offer below-cost discounts to maximize offsystem sales prior to curtailing QF load. The PSC found that the utility had adequately demonstrated "negative avoided costs" during the minimum-load periods, and had acted in a manner consistent with its statutory obligation to provide low-cost reliable service. Re Florida Power Corp., Docket No. 941101-EQ, Order No. PSC-1133-FOF-EQ, Sept. 11, 1995 (Fla.P.S.C.).
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