Governor approves controversial FPL power poles
Today, Tuesday, May 13, the Governor signed off on FPL's proposed 100 foot tall transmission poles along US1.
Hundreds of letters of protest meant nothing. The request from mayors of various cities like Pinecrest and Coral Gables meant nothing.
One set of lines was kept out of Everglades National Park, but the huge poles and lines going up US1, which neighbors have been fighting for years, was approved. Many feel this will bring down property values, be an eyesore and be harmful health-wise.
The real solution would be to bury the lines and have FPL pay for that. If they're paying $24 billion for the plant, I'm sure they can afford to bury the lines alone the way. They want the cities to pay for that.
Approximately 750,000 homes will benefit from the new nuclear plants that the lines will serve. One plus is that the lines are said to prohibit expansion of US1 to allow for additional lanes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, along with the Governor, unanimously approved FPL’s request at the recommendation of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. All of them were on the power plant board.
Local governments are now planning to sue the state. The only other way the lines and poles would not be installed is if the nuclear plants are declined approval by the state. Most don't see that happening.
posted by Tom Falco at 6:24 PM
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20 Comments:
I sincerely hope everyone that lives in the communities where these proposed power lines are going to be located is outraged. This is an insult to South Florida. Our property values are going to get crushed (tens of billions of dollars) so that FPL can save money? And Rick Scott, the lizard, goes along because FPL is financing his election campaign with a measly $3MM donation. What a complete disgrace.
Tom, if this does end up going through, where will the Coconut Grove substation be located? Would it be where the existing substation is on Douglas, west of US-1?
Vic Sopena
We do not have a Representative Democracy any longer, it is now called a Patrimonial Capitalism, Bye.
Folks, we do indeed have a Representative Democracy: The House now has this bill, so it's up to U-all!? Representative Democracy invoked by people like you and I makes this issue your responsibility. Contact your representative and Senator's in writing with some specific recommendations that pass the common sense level.
Jobie Steppe
This is the end. I am strongly considering abandoning the city of Miami over this, and I recommend you do to. It was only a matter of time until this place became uninhabitable. Welcome to hell.
This is much worse than aesthetics. Even FPL admits that living within a certain distance from high voltage transmission lines can have negative health effects. They claimed at a public meeting in 2009 that the distances were safe, but scientists from UM attending that meeting disagreed. The constant noise from the lines is a chronic stress which could have its own health impact.
Those effects are nothing compared to what might happen if there were an accidental meltdown at Turkey Point. It is already very close to sea level. Remember what happened in Japan?
Finally, the cooling system for the plant will pull fresh water from our aquifer. If too much water is drawn from our aquifer it will pull in seawater, and could destroy our drinking water source for Miami.
All of these issues have been raised to Skeletor and his crew. We should be looking for ways to phase out Turkey Point, not add to it.
None of this will move forward if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission denies approval of the expansion. It seems the Feds may be our best friends in this and our only real hope. That and voting the jerk out of office.
Governor Scott obviously agreed that the proposed cancer-cluster power lines were too dangerous to install inside the Everglades National Park, as they could harm the delicate ecosystem. But Scott did not hesitate approving the installation of the same hazardous power lines in our neighborhood, where our children play and go to school, where tourism is a thriving industry and where we thoroughly enjoy the beautiful outdoors. An FPL donation of 3 million dollars to his re-election campaign was all it took for the Governor to sell us out. All of our complaints, letters, emails, phone calls, etc. fell on deaf ears. Altogether Coconut Grove, Brickell, South Miami, Coral Gables and Pinecrest have a large number of voters. Let's use that power to tell the remaining elected representatives, the ones FPL hasn't paid for yet, that we will not give in to such a ludicrous proposal. And, come November, let's use our votes to get rid of that piranha, Rick Scott.
Let's do some math: with $24 billion for money for two nuclear facilities one can divert that money to distributed Photo Voltaic solar at a retail panel cost of $4 per Watt FPL could produce 6,233 Mega Watts and there would be no need for the high voltage wires and the costs involved since a solar system can be distributed where the sun shine. Today Turkey point is producing 3,330 Mega watts of power with four nuclear units and one gas powered unit. On top of that Florida could employ tens of thousands and make an industrial base for solar power production across the state. Does this make sense?
These comments reflect the bottom rung of the food chain. I.E., if you're serious, stop driving, turn off your A/C, reduce your calories, walk or ride a bike & act like a robot, otherwise please continue as usual - - I bet. We all need the juice, the power outlets, the gasoline. People consume and the electricity is the glue that binds us all.
Jobie Steppe
Jobie, shhh, your brain damage is showing, and the adults are trying to have a conversation. You should read more than write, then you might realize that this has nothing to do with our usage. Only FPL's profit by selling out of state.
It's not 1950, so why in the world would be adding more nuclear power?
Easy solutions abound. Wind, Solar, Ocean, more efficiency in our homes and businesses. C'mon, our power solutions must evolve not remain the same across half-centuries.
Also bear in mind, FPL can pretty much start charging for the upgrades. Even if they never build them. And politicians made that extortion possible.
Who voted these people into office?
Anon 11:07 "Our usage" Jobie wrote nothing about "Our usage".
"Adults are trying to have a conversation". Since when are comments a conversation"? "Wind, solar, ocean" abound!? This stuff isn't even a drop in a bucket. If you feel like making negative comments think first and then only open your mouth to change you feet!
Billy 2- legs
While I'd rather not see power ones along the road either, none here is really offering a realistic alternative. So 750,000 homes should just go without power? Are you willing to tell that to the faces of those people?
You erroneously state, "The real solution would be to bury the lines and have FPL pay for that. If they're paying $24 billion for the plant, I'm sure they can afford to bury the lines alone the way. They want the cities to pay for that."
That betrays a lack of understanding for how these things work. Companies in vest their money where there is the highest rate of return for the risk they are taking. If the rate of return were lower, it's not worth the risk, so they wouldn't install the plants or lines in the first place, but invest their money in other projects. And again, that would leave those 750,000 without power.
So, again, I'm all for alternatives, but what are they?
Nuclear power is the only way to go and it's clean. Each atom of uranium produces a given measure of heat in its natural state, so when combined each atom continues to produce that same given measure of heat; collectively the more uranium atoms the more heat. Most of U will be dead before these polls hold the cables that hold these flowing electrons. And most folks will get more radiation from sitting in front of their TV's than from these cables 100 feet in the air. Relax, enjoy our technology, chill out with your stereo, take a relaxed drive in your gas driven auto w/AC, get a burger, coke & fries - - - - or better yet walk, run & skate board to work if U can't handle reality.
"These comments reflect the bottom rung of the food chain" is there a burial at sea undertone in that sentence, "bottom rung" and "food chain"? Get it?
Hey he could become FPL's new spokesman: "We wont bury the wires to make fish food of the bottom rung"
Install them underground. I don't see 100ft transmission lines throughout Paris, London or Manhattan.
Like others mentioned, this is a negotiation. FPL will counter that if the affected municipalities insist on underground utilities they will have to defray some of the cost.
DKF
Lobbyist/PR employee spotted at 4:56pm.
As for 2-legs, do you really know that little about alternative energy? Take a look around, outside of Florida. It's working. How can our "solution" stay the same for 60+ years?
Also, who are these 750,000 people you refer to? pure fiction.
How could anyone conclude "It's working". What's working? Where's all this green power? Nuclear power is the most productive and it's 100% clean. All of this renewable stuff is great, but can't come close to proving energy to the 7-billion plus world population. There's reality and then there's wishful thinking.
It appears the local commissioner Marc Sarnoff missed this issue. Bought by FPL? Missing in action?
Only p-brains invoke the name Mark Sarnoff, get a life outside of the Grape's comment section.
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