Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

State regulators next week will plunge back into questions about expanding nuclear power in Florida --- and consider the down payment that residents and businesses will have to make in 2012.

Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida are seeking to pass along about $335 million in nuclear costs to customers next year. While a large chunk of the money would go toward upgrading already-existing nuclear plants, customers also would cover expenses for new plants that are not slated to start operating for at least another decade.

The companies, backed by many state policymakers, contend that Florida needs to shift to more nuclear power to help reduce reliance on natural gas and coal and to save money for customers long term.

In a document earlier this year, Progress argued in favor of new nuclear reactors in Levy County by saying the company and Florida "need a more diverse energy portfolio to decrease their dependence on fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil, which can be extremely volatile in price and supply. New, advanced-design nuclear power remains the best available technology to provide reliable electric service and to make significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.''

But attorneys for consumers, business and environmental groups are balking at many of the costs that the utilities want to pass along to ratepayers.

In filings with the Florida Public Service Commission, the attorneys openly questioned whether the utilities will wind up building the new nuclear plants. Also, they have pushed to get better information about how much the nuclear projects will ultimately cost and how long they will take.

"I think we are entitled to look at the big picture,'' said Vicki Gordon Kaufman, an attorney for the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, a coalition of businesses that regularly takes part in utility cases.

The debate will play out during a multi-day hearing that is scheduled to start Wednesday at the Public Service Commission.

Trying to encourage more nuclear power, state lawmakers in 2006 approved allowing utilities to incrementally pass along project costs rather than waiting until a power plant starts operating.

As a result, FPL and Progress go before the Public Service Commission each year to justify the costs for their nuclear projects. But since the legislation passed, it also has meant customers have been required to pay for nuclear projects that will not start producing electricity for years --- and might not ever be finished.

FPL is seeking approval to collect about $196 million in 2012 to help upgrade nuclear plants in St. Lucie and Miami-Dade counties and to continue taking steps toward building two new reactors at the Miami-Dade site, which is known as Turkey Point.