Tampa mayor promises efforts to push conservation

TAMPA — Mayor Pam Iorio on Tuesday pledged to appoint a task force to work with Tampa Electric Co. on citywide energy conservation efforts.

Iorio made the promise in a memo sent to City Council members and copied to TECO president John Ramil.

But the overture still doesn't satisfy those who want to see conservation measures and commitments to renewable energy included in a 25-year franchise agreement between the city and utility that is set for final council approval next week.

"It's good that the administration has recognized that the citizens are concerned about these issues," said City Council member Linda Saul-Sena. "But there's no incentive after we sign this 25-year agreement for TECO to be cooperative."

The council rejected the agreement this month after hearing from dozens of environmental advocates who opposed the contract.

A week later, the council reversed its decision when Joseph Caetano changed his vote, saying the city already had spent $95,000 paying attorneys to negotiate the contract. Rejecting it would only mean spending more on lawyers and possibly fighting the utility in court, he said.

For more than three years, Iorio and the utility have been negotiating the agreement. The old contract, signed in 1986, expired in 2006.

Iorio and Tampa Electric have argued that the franchise agreement is to determine how much the utility pays for using the city right of way for its power lines. Conservation measures are regulated by the state, says City Attorney Chip Fletcher.

"I appreciate all of the issues raised by council during the franchise agreement deliberations," Iorio wrote in the memo. "Once we have the agreement behind us I believe that this task force will add significantly to our green efforts as a city."

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Iorio said she has directed her staff to participate in rule-making at the state and federal level that will require utilities to set goals for providing energy through renewable sources.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.