Cuban American politics in Miami, FPL and nuclear power, by gimleteye

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There was no story of course in the Miami Herald (as noted by G.O.D. below) of today's public hearing for two new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point. But there was a story about possible Democratic challengers to the Republican lock on Congressional seats in Miami Dade, Florida's largest and most politically influential county.

What the Cuban American congressional delegation thinks about nuclear power likely runs along the lines of "Is it good for development?" Or, "Will it help depose Castro?"

But of the two, making life easier and more profitable for the Latin Builders Association is the clear winner.

Cuban American politics has always been about local economics related to building and construction.

But the housing bust will outlive Castro, and that leaves the Cuban American political elite in something of a quandry. What to do?

So, the question arises why Florida Power and Light is pushing to obtain permits for two new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point, without even letting the Cuban American political elite know where the coolant water will come from (do they even care? apparently not, according to the recent performance of the Miami Dade county commission, glossing over the issue as they approved FPL's special use zoning exception).

First of all, the city of Homestead and Florida City are cheap dates for anything that will turn their green acres into Kendall, as soon as possible. They welcome nuclear power at their door and at the door to Monroe County.

The nuclear industry has powerful players with Florida connections, like lobbyist Christine Todd Whitman--former EPA chief.

In other words, the political sheet for nuclear is cleaner here than anywhere else in the nation. And they have Marco Rubio, Speaker of the House in the Florida legislature.

Rubio, Jeb's protege, represents the status quo, Republican push-back against Governor Charlie Crist's efforts to pull Florida to a new energy future, along the lines of California.

Given the hostility between Jeb and California's Schwarzenegger, Rubio is likely picking up his cues from the utilities like Florida Power and Light. And push-back against Crist's deep-sixing the Glades coal-fired plant proposal by FPL.

Last but not least, if federal laws protecting National Parks and the environment can be breached at Turkey Point in siting new nuclear power, they can be breached anywhere.

The appropriate glare through which to view the controversy over nuclear power is cast in today's Wall Street Journal, where the center front page story reports on the efforts by California's utilities to conserve energy, not just produce it.

"California regulators essentially are giving utilities a chance to earn as much profit by reducing energy as by producing it."

Let's see which of Miami's Cuban American Congressional incumbents and aspirants first come out for conservation and against more nuclear power until every last watt is squeezed out of new initiatives and technologies that don't send us down the path of Dante's Inferno.