Oct. 7--TAMPA -- A Tampa-based utility is blaming the railroad for any high costs it must pass on to its customers.

Seminole Electric Cooperative filed a complaint Friday with a federal agency against CSX Transportation, saying new CSX rates to ship coal from Illinois and Appalachia to a Palatka generating station boost costs to 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 board prescribe lower rates for application to Seminole's coal shipments.

The generation and transmission cooperative provides service to 46 of Florida's 67 counties. The company has no customers in Hillsborough County.

Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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