Utility costs climb at Florida colleges

Florida's public universities have another financial hurdle to scale in these days of state budget cuts — skyrocketing utility costs. Energy costs are projected to climb dramatically for the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to university officials. And that's despite conservation efforts. Florida A&M University has projected its utility bill for the year starting July 1 will be 20 percent higher than the previous year. Florida State University has estimated a 27-percent increase. The University of Florida expects an increase of nearly 20 percent.