Friday, October 09, 2009

Dreaming Big: FPL CEO, other execs dine at White House

FPL Group CEO Lew Hay and three other chief executives had a private White House luncheon with President Barack Obama yesterday. Hay was joined by the top executives of Amazon.com, Kraft and Eastman Kodak.

Obama questioned FPL's intent to build new nuclear reactors at sea level, on the edge of Biscayne National Park and why key issues like wetlands, water supply and environmental protection had been inadequately addressed despite the fact that the company was already charging rate payers for planning.

The CEO’s paid for their own lunch as part of the Obama White House’s policy to remove the appearance of too cozy relationship with big business. This policy has not made an impact in Florida, where the wife of Republican chair of the Senate Energy Committee, Miamian Alex Diaz de la Portilla, is a registered lobbyist for energy companies seeking to repeal the ban against drilling for oil in near shore waters. Diaz de la Portilla says neither his wife’s employment or compensation from big energy companies will affect his leadership on bringing oil drilling to Florida or anything else.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Diaz de la Door: The wife's position is HIGHLY questionable. He should most definitely recuse himself. There is something wrong when the politicians don't think IT IS WRONG>

Anonymous said...

Recuse, is not in the vocabulary of the Diaz de la Portilla brothers. They're ALWAYS right.

South Florida Lawyers said...

Let's see -- if he votes for drilling and it passes, he gains financially because that is the sole lobbying goal of his wife.

I'd say that's a conflict.

Anonymous said...

What was Hay's response to Obama's questions re: FPL's intent to build new nuclear reactors at sea level, on the edge of Biscayne National Park and why key issues like wetlands, water supply and environmental protection had been inadequately addressed despite the fact that the company was already charging rate payers for planning?