WHERE: Florida International University's "Modesto A. Maidique" Main Campus @ the Stadium Club, 11200 SW 8th Street, MiamiAs told by Sierra Club's Jonathan Ullman: Florida Power and Light (FPL) is attempting to swap a utility corridor it owns inside the 109,000 acre East Everglades Expansion Area (Everglades National Park) for a new corridor on the east side of the park - but still inside current park boundaries. If permitted, one of Florida's unique natural areas will gain a new industrial horizon consisting of 3 sets of power lines carrying up to 500,000 volts of electricity across towers as
WHEN: Wednesday, June 22, 2011
5:30 PM (formal presentation at 6:30) - public comments to follow until 8:30 p.m.
high as 150 feet (15 stories tall). The lines would connect proposed new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point to points north. It is important you attend this scoping meeting..Genius.
More info received from Gene Flinn's South Dade Update:
FPL is attempting to swap a utility corridor it owns inside the 109,000 acre East Everglades Expansion Area (in Everglades National Park) for a new corridor on the east side of the park. This new corridor that FPL wants is still inside current park boundaries. If permitted, one of Florida's unique natural areas will gain a new industrial viewscape consisting of three sets of power lines carrying up to 500,000 volts of electricity across towers as high as 150 feet (15 stories tall). The lines would connect proposed new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point to points north.
Their strategy seems to require that they have the entire support infrastructure in place before they are given approval for the new nuclear plants. FPL can then argue that they have already spent massive amounts of money (yours), so they "must have" the plants approved. Whatever FPL's ultimate goal is, whether it is build the nukes or simply have the public fund their northbound corridor upgrade, there needs to be serious public input into the line corridors. Everglades National Park is a national treasure which should be protected from industrial intrusion.
17 comments:
These issues with FPL are just infuriated. Remember last year, they needed to rezone the Ag Area in the East Glades - prior to any NRC approval for the reactors, I personally don't believe will ever be built. To the issue of FPL needing to "swap land" in the Everglades is about as asinine as possible and an environmental assault in it's restoration and our water supply.
As to the unnesecary monster transmission lines through US 1, there have been several alternative routes proposed and ignored.
Rate payers are paying for these land use changes, increase capacity project, you name it. And, in the end - why? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?
As to the NRC, all I can think about when it comes to them is the same type of relationship between a private company & government regulator. It's too cozy. Remember the BP Oil spill and the aftermath of discovering the total lack of oversight? The headline could be the same if there's another (in a series) of problems with any existing or new reactors and the NRC.
Any corridor suggested by FPL appears unacceptable to you.
If you could put the power line corridor anywhere you wanted, where would you site it?
Don't cop out and say we don't need them. FPL would not expend the millions of dollars in capital necessary to put up the lines if they were not needed. Even FPL is not that stupid.
I know you'll sneer at that too, but do you really believe thay would spend millions in capital to put up power lines thay don't need just to thrust a stick in the eye (no pun intended) of EOM?
Where would you site them? Inquiring minds want to know.
David, the problem with the transmission lines is the increased capacity. This isn't for us ratepayers here in Florida, it's to move the power out of State from here with the ratepayers footing the bills via rate increases or surcharges.
But, I will agree with you on one point, FPL is incredibly smart at getting it's users to pay for all this stuff, without NRC approval for the new reactors.
Where do you live David? We will suggest they run by your house.
David...
People in the Falls area already live with and probably are glowing with huge lines... and FPL wants more, bigger and better lines for their out of state customers ... let them build the damn plants where the electricity is going to be used.
From South Dade updates,,,,,
Today's meeting does not concern the eastern part of the plan, our US1 corridor is not a place for poles of giant magnitude. If you live in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest or any of the other affected communities, you need to speak with your elected officials for details and information on what they are doing about the pole placement.
Pinecrest and South Miami are stepping up to the issue with vigor. these poles are UGLY and will bring strong electric fields right into the heart of our communities.
This meeting today is on the other half of the FPL upgrade map.
The idea of putting powerlines through what is now Everglades National Park and a world heritage sight is atrocious. Hopefully American's won't stand for public land being pilfered for for-profit utility interests.
Unfortunately, last anonymous, FPL owned the land before Everglades National Park was there. After the expansion of the Park in 1989, the FPL owned corridor fell within the new Park boundaries.
Also, one note to Genius. I am no fan of this FPL plan to build two new plants and high tension lines that they do not need for this region, but you will get nowhere with me or any other moderate by quoting John Ullman. I have seen him in action many times and he can't get any politicians to ever listen to him because he has no iea how to make a coherent point in a concise manner. Same goes for Laura Reynolds at Tropical. What we really need is some new, dynamic leadership in the local environmental groups.
last anon... are you volunteering?
FPL is a rogue corporation.
Regarding the anonymous 2 above: many lobbyists read this blog so take comments with a grain of salt.
Just some facts:
1. All utilities are required to produce a specified amount of surplus capacity to deal with peak load and other unanticipated load variations. In addition, they make use of peaking units (usually gas turbines like those FPL has sited in Broward County) to provide essentially "instant on" capacity in the event peak demand exceeds existing system capacity.
2. Utilities do sell excess power on the spot market when production is greater than load, otherwise that capacity is wasted. Somtimes that power is wheeled to in-state utilities that need it, sometimes out of state.
3. Without this ability, we would be vulnerable to black-outs and brown-outs if something unexpected were to happen to FPL's generating capacity; so the national grid and its participants are involved in a symbiotic dance to ensure everyone has enough power to satisfy immediate demand.
4. You can't bottle electricity and save it for a rainy day.
Besides the sophomoric suggestion that the lines should be sited in my backyard, no one has even attempted to give a serious answer to a serious question; where to suite these transmission lines. You can't just say they're ugly and they can't go anywhere unless you're all for being without power. What all of you either fail to realize or fail to acknowledge is that power can be transmitted in either direction on these lines and the corridor you oppose could be the very one that will wheel power into Florida from out of state to supply your home or business should FPL be unable to due to issues with generating plants, etc.
While siting the corridor in a national park may not be the best aesthetic outcome, it sure beats not having enough power so your computer won't turn on when you want to whine on EOM.
Butch up! Where would you site the transmission corridor. I'm waiting!!!
FL to balance trade deficit w/ GA. FL to trade energy for peanuts & red clay (JaneMiami Twitter)
David, David, David, we know we can't site them in your backyard...it probably would tick off your neighbors, unless of course, you live in Goulds where they already put them in backyards or on the other hand, if you live in palmetto bay they could already be in your front yard like on 136 street.
I could do with a little less computer time and I am guessing I am not alone in that corner.
OK David, here is your answer. Put the lines along the turnpike and they match other hideous infrastructure already in place. We offered that as an alternate but FPL had already gotten the Turnpike Authority and MDX to step up and oppose it. the problem is that there is no requirement that utilities must engage in joint planning with local governments of such infrastructure. They rewrote the siting act and now have no burden to substantiate their preferences. instead the burden has shifted to those who would oppose them to have to file an alternate and substantiate it.
All right! CLL has an answer, and a decent one at that. Put the ugly with the rest of the ugly.No one will ever call long distance transmission systems pretty, and hideous may be a good word to decribe them. The only point I am trying to make is they are necessary, will be built, and have to go somewhere.
Overhead distribution systems are not pretty either, but they are everywhere in Miami. While URD (underground residential distribution) is now the norm for FPL unless environmental or other conditions preclude it and require the wires to be in the air, I don't hear anyone screaming at FPL to rip down the ugly feeders that put power from the wire into their home.
Don't put it near me if I don't perceive any direct benefit; but don't you dare move that ugly stuff away from me if it will cause me an adverse impact. The height of self-centered narcissism!
To dismiss every and any siting plan is just ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away...which it won't.
As a society, there are times where the appropriate question is why? There are other times (like this one) where the only appropriate question is how (and where)?
For the record, Florida does not and cannot export electricity. At least not peninsular Florida. Look it up.
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