The Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) provides power utility coverage to approximately 200,000 homes in Sanibel, Cape Coral and Pine Island: three of the hardest hit western zone regions in the Hurricane Ian disaster. Hundreds of people have asked me in my extensive travels why there are zero power trucks visible in Cape Coral working on the power grid, downed power lines and broken infrastructure. Now, it looks like we have the answer.
What LCEC is intentionally doing is jaw-dropping. In all my years of hurricane recovery, there has never –NEVER– been a more crystal-clear example of a decision to put profits over people. LCEC is literally taking advantage of tens of thousands of vulnerable residents. Tonight, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling them out [LINK]. I will explain what is happening, but first check out the DeSantis message:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, after receiving a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Center on current efforts to restore power in Southwest Florida, Governor DeSantis called on the Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) to accept additional mutual aid to expedite power restoration to the residents of Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Sanibel and Pine Island.
At this time, Florida Power and Light (FPL) has restored power to more than 45% of their accounts in Lee County, while LCEC has only restored power to 9% of their accounts (18,000 out of 183,000 customers). To assist in restoration efforts, the Florida Electrical Cooperatives Association has readied resources from its members around the state that are available to deploy on mutual aid.
Mutual aid would allow the LCEC to expedite power restoration, especially to Cape Coral and North Fort Myers as residents return to their homes and begin the road to recovery. Power restoration in these areas is also essential to resume the full use of essential services such as health care facilities, operation of schools and ensure access to running water. (link)
Please share this part far and wide. You know me to call the baby ugly when warranted; this is one such time. People in the impact zone need to know what is happening.
The Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) purchases energy from Florida Power and Light (FP&L). LCEC then passes along the energy cost to the Sanibel, Cape Coral and Pine Island residents in the form of traditional electricity billing.
Most of the energy provided by FP&L to southwest Florida comes from natural gas used to generate electricity. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed. Because natural gas has spiked in price so quickly; and because there is a natural lag in billing customers before payment is due; LCEC was temporarily billing people less than the current cost of the energy they were purchasing from FP&L.
The price billed to LCEC customers was short-term lower than the price LCEC was paying for the energy. This resulted in a tens of million-dollar losses for LCEC. [NOTE: this is what is happening in Europe and why the EU central bank is subsidizing free short-term bridge loans to smaller electricity providers]
Rather than add another surcharge to the LCEC customers to make up the difference, LCEC is now using Hurricane Ian as an opportunity to true-up their costs and balance the deficit.
As long as zero electricity is being purchased from FP&L; and as long as customers pay their electricity bills by October 9th (due date), LCEC will have a substantive period of time where their receipts (from customers) exceed their purchases (from FP&L). With inbound income and no outbound expenses, the previous financial deficit is removed.
How does LCEC stop purchasing energy?…. Simple, they just don’t rebuild the power grind, thereby delaying the need for payments to FP&L.
This is why there is almost ZERO effort to restore power in Cape Coral, Pine Island and North Fort Myers and mutual aid providers asking why?
LCEC leadership will likely try to hide behind plausible deniability due to the severity of the damage combined with their “non-profit” status. But make no mistake, we are five days post event and LCEC is not even removing downed power poles and power lines. The mutual aid utility companies are standing there wondering why LCEC is not asking for help. The slow pace is akin to doing almost nothing.
This is a top-level decision by LCEC leadership to put operational profit over the urgent power restoration need of their customers. I guarantee you Florida Governor Ron DeSantis knows exactly what LCEC is doing, and why LCEC is doing it. Unfortunately, DeSantis is being politically diplomatic in sending a shot across their bow rather than directly explain to people what the true motive is behind LCEC’s decision.
Those of you I have met in recent recovery efforts, there’s the answer to your question. LCEC is not making any effort to restore power because LCEC doesn’t want to restore power; at least not yet. A few opportunistic weeks without having to purchase energy covers the prior financial deficit. Yes, Hurricane Ian has provided them an opportunity to recover previous financial losses.
Angry? You bet I’m angry. Now imagine if 200,000 people found out what is really going on.
This is the single most egregious example of putting profits over people in all my years of Hurricane recovery and relief. LCEC is literally blocking recovery efforts because there is a financial reason not to recover. Meanwhile, thousands of people are suffering, businesses are closed and losing money. Worse still food, fuel, healthcare services and water recovery (so much more) are being blocked by this LCEC decision.
Ron DeSantis was far too kind in his approach…. screw the donations and politics of Big Energy. Put Attorney General Ashley Moody on it now or use the power of the Florida Governor’s Office to take control over the utility provider.
Do not give Charlie Crist this opening. Go full wolverine, now.
That said, let’s watch and see how LCEC responds to the forceful nudge.
What kind of equipment is needed to help with recovery? Me and Wife transport trailers/boats all over the country and love Florida as a destination. looking to purchase a dump trailer to help with debris removal. It would be a huge investment for us, as well as living away from home for several months. Thx
Please keep in mind gas is scarce and parts of the interstate are closed. Travel is dicey and you’ll be sleeping in parking lots
What I’ve experienced as being the biggest help is tree cutting/clearing. Crews are showing up with front loaders, bobcats, chainsaws and brute muscle clearing trees and placing debris roadside for pickup at a later time
A dear friend is having 5 large fallen trees removed for only $500. A volunteer crew from Ocala is stopping at homes offering their services. These guys are sweet angels!
If you decide to come, if you can, bring with you as many solar power chargers as you can. Not just for residents, but for all the crews sleeping in their trucks in every Walmart parking lot.
Thank you for thinking of us.
Perhaps it time to reconsider whether some of these buildings should be rebuilt
Maybe. But today is not that time. Those who are impacted are probably fearful of financial ruin.
If the damage to the property is more than 50% of the total value of the home, it’s the insurance company’s choice whether to rebuild or not.
From 22Taycan @saveAmerica2024AGAIN on Truth Social
As of this morning LCEC Current restoration numbers are as follows:
A.M Area Update Cust. On Cust. Out Total Cust
Marco Island 10,459 9,123 19,582
Immokalee 12,998 2,742 15,740
Carnestown 439 2,800 3,239
Lehigh Acres 24,302 8,824 33,126
North Fort Myers 5,609 50,670 56,279
Cape Coral 4,498 89,778 94,276
Pine Island 0 7,398 7,398
Sanibel 0 10,946 10,946
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Since Sanibel and Pine Island are being forcibly evacuated, where is the urgency to restore power there?
Restoration to the barrier islands is not going to happen. For crying out loud.
So, if the Co-op has maintenance equipment, you’re saying it’s parked in a garage somewhere? I don’t think we’re being told the whole story here.
Sick. Sounds like the same kind of people who used a little incident 21 years ago as an excuse to give us the Dept of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act (not to mention a couple wars).
Huge difference. 9-11 was illegal and treasonous action by covert elements of the IC to weaponize the Intel orgs’ then-limited tools and give them ultimate coercive power over everyone.
What Sundance describes here is purely greed/profit-directed inaction by LCEC, putting people’s lives and health at risk.
Components needed to repair and rebuild the grid are in short supply. Most have been on back order for a year and a half due to supply chain issues.
Most utilities keep a certain amount on hand, but perhaps LCEC doesn’t? Maybe they did, but due to their losses they sold it to recoup money since components are going for a premium now? If the utility lost money last month how much, if any reserve do they have? Workers cost money, especially when crews are working 24/7. Maybe they simply don’t have the resources to initiate repairs.
I don’t think I quite understand how they are scheming to collect money. People are paying bills based on usage prior to the storm that they had to pay FPL for. It’s not like they are getting a windfall, apparently they are losing money. Sure the following monthly bill will have minimum charges, but I doubt that comes close to making up their deficit and I assure you it isn’t a drop in the bucket toward repair costs.
i’m not in FL so I really have no details, but if they are expecting their customers to still pay their bills by Oct 8, they will probably be very disappointed. Most are in shelters or other locations by now, bills are gone, jobs are gone, houses for service are gone, where & how are they going to pay those bills? Perhaps they haven’t thought this thur very well.
I would imagine many have set up all their bills to be paid automatically, including gas, electricity, mortgage, phone, etc.
The Utility Consortium has said the larger providers like FPL-Duke etc are supplying equipment and parts to the smaller utilities since they have stockpiled reserves.
Now I know why our bills have been over double previous years. They are fabricating usage charges on us customers to help pay their debt.
This is an announcement sent out to those in Matlacha. No way to restore power anytime soon. Best to first restore in areas on the mainland where people can actually get to their homes and immediately start rebuilding. Priorities.
ANNOUNCEMENT: “Situation is more dire than we thought after speaking to the Emergency Ops Center at the County. Residents must leave the island. Life will not be sustainable on the island. Infrastructure has been decimated. This is NOT a Hurricane Charley situation for those who went thru that storm.
The resources are just not available to make life sustainable for living your daily life on the island for some time. Water, Power, Law Enforcement, Medical, Fire, Necessities, Shopping, Sewer are not going to be in workable order anytime soon. Communications have also been an issue. Rescue is available now, please take the boats off the island. The island is cut off from the mainland and residents will have no means to travel to the mainland except by boat for anytime in the near or even far off future. To those who have loved ones or friends, please encourage them as best you can to leave now. Word from the County is that there will be no timetables to fix these issues. In the future, again no time table here, there will be plans for ferries, once waters are cleared of hazards for residents to get their things off.”
Natural gas prices are skyrocketing because Biden’s handlers and the Deep Cesspool choose not to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine/Russia problem.
And they eventually blew up the 2 German/Russian pipelines. You can smell it, you don’t need to see it.
Now the American Middle Class is getting handed another unnecessary, completely avoidable bill as American natgas is turned into expensive LNG to help turn Europe back to the Dark Ages.
NG prices are skyrocketing by DESIGN to starve people out of energy and food……the anti-fracking movement shut down the increased production in the US under PDJT when Slo Joe was installed and their increased sales of LNG to the EU countries from forced shortages have driven prices even higher
I was forced out of Everglades City when Hurricane Irma virtually destroyed everything at the point of impact 09/13/2007. EC was at the very end of the primary LCEC power transmission lines. Every tower from EC north to Lee County was blown down, these were steel towers imbedded up and down Hwy 29 N , all constructed along side the hwy in the swamp, every single tower. They had to build floating platforms to remove damaged towers-60′-80’tall, plus their anchoring structures-concrete and steel-and then float brand new ones. Instead of starting there at EC, they began in Lee County due to population and return of revenue faster than the sparsely populated EC fishing village of commercial fishing interests and lower income residents, who were without any commercial power for almost 6 months. It didn’t help that the former mayor resigned on Friday before Irma hit on Saturday, then he applied for emergency FEMA funds that were approved as they did not know he was no longer mayor and sent over $4million to the city’s new bank acct he provided them, not knowing, again, that he had no authorization to ask for or receive funds from FEMA or direct deposit in other than official City acct. He promptly absconded with these funds and left the county. it took weeks for FEME to realize what had happened as the new emergency city officials found out this criminal act and plead w/FEMA to assist with relief. LCEC subjected the entire lower customer client accts to suffer. I could not return when it was safe, and some of the locals”assisting” with distribution of emergency refrigerators, power generators, conveniently left off a number of full time residents and never distributed the excess appliances and supplies. I lived there 8 yrs full time and owned property there for 19 yrs and could not get the locals that were in charge to distribute to provide me anything, due to not being on the offical”list” they knew I was eligible for but I was someone that knew how effin crooked they all were. Remember, back in the early 1990’s every single male over the age of 18 were arrested during one of the largest drug sting operations that had ever been attempted, as the entire town was involved, including the city police, fire, numerous business owners and commissioners in charge. They and their families were the ones in charge of assisting FEMA during Wilma-2005- and then Irma. Nothing had changed except the criminals had gotten older and their families were still involved in illegal activities. The scavengers stripped all the boats set adrift in Wilma and Irma and had them stripped clean of any electronics and salvageable motors or electronics within 3 days of landfall. This call out by Gov is nothing new w/LCEC, there is always profit to be made during extreme chaos, and there are those of all classes of residents and businesses in Fla that thrive. As a side note, they did finally catch the ex-mayor as he was extradited from Mexico but before he could stand trial he had a heart attack and died, very little of what he defrauded the City /FEMA of was recovered, yet his extended family still live there. 5 yrs later they are still recovering, with new waste water system has now been approved and Gov granted funds to replace the old system that was destroyed during IRMA, but it took 5 years for the State of Florida to approve the release of funds and EPA plans, now under construction. FEMA provided me just enough money for my destroyed residence to walk away, as there was no where left within 200 miles that could provide living accommodations, as all the homeless were given shelter in every hotel/motel at $232/night for 6 months, and since nothing emergency appliance was provided to me I walked away. I have had nightmares since, and this past week was no exception, GOD bless all of those suffering from Ina’s destruction. It will take 10 yrs before it is recognizable again.
Excuse me, but your Irma timelime is off by 10 YEARS.
he meant wilma.
I do believe frustration and exhaustion is exacerbating the situation. Lives have been changed forever, and the cost in funds and time is almost unreal. However, this was a huge, slow moving, storm with super high winds, long rains, 12 ft storm surge, and it hit an area, that is most vulnerable, and high risk for severe storm damage and flooding. The electric company mentioned may be less than desirable, but the reconnect of power is really a problem of the storm…there are supply issues on a good day. Those who have had their power restored are not the most destruction areas. The average lead time to procure distribution transformers jumped from roughly two to three months to a year between 2020 and 2022, and that has been getting progressively worse long before the hurricane. The producers of components are running out of stock.
The clean up will take an extremely long time. It is not as easy as laying new lines on new phone poles. All the “parts” that go into the light switch are going to be scarce. Of course, the facts of why the electric company is seemingly dragging their feet remain confusing…this is not a billing problem. It is a physical debris removal, locate the replacement parts, and design the layout for restoration (which should already be on file) and move. Not everyone is able to handle big wire, high voltage cable and substations.
I don’t live there. I see 2 very distinct issues: slow electric provider and supply issues.
But more importantly, tired, worried, people who have been through hell. Who are literally in survival mode. I would be in a fit of frustration, exhaustion, fear, what ifs, tears. I also hope I would be able to remain somewhat stable. I wish I could help.
So I will offer my continued prayers. Praise God you have been through this alive. All of you deserve rest and assurance. Since governments and companies do not offer such blessings, God does and He is the just provider, immediately, without excuses. God is good. We pray for strength and endurance. Blessings.
A friend of a close family friend was lost in the storm. He left his trailer home but there was no room at any motels; he turned back and was lost in the flood.
Tears for all the souls who left us in this storm.
Such sadness
This is a very sad story. Was there a shortage of shelters for people in this storm? I wonder how those without internet would even find out where they were? People forget that many people don’t have access to internet. And definitely not after the power & cell service goes out. I have heard that people who had pets were turned away from refuge at some hotels, but supposedly the shelters in Lee country were saying it was OK to bring pets. Providing for this is so important to save lives.
Lee Co said several times 40,000 shelter spaces but only 4,000 came and used them. Many simply thought, as in past storms, they could ride it out and stayed home. Tragically for some.
The following is posted below by HardyBrooks, and describes what happened to LCEC customers after Hurricane Irma in 2007.
“…the former mayor resigned on Friday before Irma hit on Saturday, then he applied for emergency FEMA funds that were approved as they
did not know he was no longer mayor and sent over $4million to the city’s new bank acct he provided them, not knowing, again, that he had
no authorization to ask for or receive funds from FEMA or direct deposit in other than official City acct. He promptly absconded with these
funds and left the county. it took weeks for FEME to realize what had happened as the new emergency city officials found out this criminal act
and plead w/FEMA to assist with relief. LCEC subjected the entire lower customer client accts to suffer…”
If even half of this and of what Sundance has written were true, it would be an outrage.
Based on what I’ve read, my sense of it so far is that it’s probably all true.
It’s true, Sammy Hamilton was the long time mayor of Everglades City because no one else wanted the position. Collier County removed the local police and fire Depts and building inspectors, County sheriff and Fire rescue took over for local city department, Building Inspections were also from Collier County, as Collier County did not trust anyone associated with EC govt. he was as big an obstacle in getting funding as anyone. The wastewater treatment plant had been needing replacing for all of the time I owned property there, and the EPA finally started fining the city $1000 a day for non compliance as Sammy’s relatives were responsible for the operations and maintenance and compliance with EPA standards for discharging “acceptable waste wastewater back between the plant and into the channel separating the Everglades. He gave the EPA the finger for 5 or 6 yrs and was the primary reason he finally resigned as the city commissioners finally started negotiating to have him removed and comply w/EPA. You can research all of this history in the achieves of the Naples Times and past issues of “The Mullet Rapper” local bi weekly newspaper with limited reporting on Sammy.
Good lord….it sounds a lot like the little beach town I came from. What a racket. And hard to fight. So many “cousins.”
I appreciate your posts.
thank you. when everyone in EC and Chokoloskee Island are cousins by birth and marriage, it is difficult for law enforcement to control so much crime, so many were jailed during drug bust a lot are still in for life. As long as you minded your own business and didn’t interact with the known criminals was a great place to live.
I live in the same kind of place. All old families have intermarried and new comers are just to fleece. Been this way for over a hundred years as northerners flocked to winter homes and felt so sorry for the locals who “appeared” impoverished.
It’s truly corrupted and puts reality into modern day “pirates”
Putting profits before people? You mean, like the mRNA shots?
Causing harm to people, for profit and power?
Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
Or they are, like many others, trying to make DeSantis look bad. Politics over people is not uncommon these days.
Indeed,… nor was it following Katrina in The Big Zleazy (NOLA),.. just ask incarcerated, former mayor, Ray, who said in his attempt to get re-elected in ’06 that he would make New Orleans –
“A Chocolate City!”
Despicable Politicians always look to take advantage of a Crisis to advance their agenda or themselves.
Here t mayor is just as corrupt. I think there are some areas that have been so sinful- they will always be.
Does Red Flag mean over the target?
LCEC need to do their part but you’re not going to scare me into selling my home for nothing so you can buy it and sell it for a profit. Florida Strong!
My lcec bill doubled for months so they were already making up their list profits.
By whatever States or local government power commissions or permits the existence of LCEC, they need to be shut down.
It cannot be stated plainly enough. Many lives are at risk and/or have been lost by their intentional delays. This may be “first world problems” to many who would complain but the fact is government gets its power from the consent of the governed. And the government in turn grants power to businesses which operate under a monopoly.
This 9%? Probably all of the leadership of LCEC lives within the serviced area… who would be surprised?
FPL 12 cents per kw
LCEC 30 cents per kw
LCEC pays 12 cents to FPL
then LCEC charges 30 cents to their customers. It’s one of the highest rates in the US, maybe the highest.
The nuclear fuel FPL uses to produce much electricity hasn’t gone up, unlike oil and gas.
LCEC owns produces nothing. They just mark up the price by triple. Keep the difference.
If LCEC customers had FPL, they’d have power on, and be paying 3 times less for that power. LCEC has to go.
Come on Gov. DeSantis, you want our votes in November? You know what you need to do.
If you think the OTHER guy is REALLY going to ‘help’ you …
Exactly. I am tired of our side always being the wussies
‘
All of you are complaining about the electric companies and their grids. Wait until the transplant northerners have doubled the population of our PENINSULA and sucked every drop of FRESH WATER from our aquifer. The water companies will then join the electric companies in vacuuming up ALL our income to “SURVIVE” in this competitive environment. TO DAMN MANY PEOPLE IN FLORIDA. ITS A PENINSULA PEOPLE
Because they have no power the residents should refuse to pay their bills, then the LCEC would be up a creek.
I just want to say that I hear your frustration and this is getting our household to start critically assessing any angles to this… what they could be doing is absolutely terrible. Thank you for posting. We have shared it on our socials. I’m not here to invalidate your emotions during this time. This is well written and it makes sense. Much, MUCH support from Lehigh.