(The following story by Ted Jackovics appeared on The Tampa Tribune website on October 6.)
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa-based Seminole Electric Cooperative Inc. has filed a complaint with a federal agency against CSX Transportation Inc., saying new CSX rates to ship coal from Illinois and Appalachia to a Palatka generating station could add to utility costs for more than 1.7 million consumers.
Seminole serves the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative in Dade City, the Sumter Electric Cooperative in Sumterville and the Peace River Electric Cooperative in Wauchula among 10-nonprofit systems.
The complaint filed Friday with the Surface Transportation Board said rates effective Jan. 1 are unreasonably high and unlawful under federal law, and requests that the STB prescribe lower rates for application to Seminole’s coal shipments.
The generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Tampa serves businesses and individuals across 46 of Florida’s 67 counties.