The Herald's "Twitter spat in the past as Donald Trump, FPL work together" could not be a more minor story if it tried. "Working together" is a sweet theme, especially as it relates to FPL whose heavy handed billions are aimed at putting high voltage power lines up the US 1 corridor, or inside Everglades National Park, or along some indeterminate route through lands otherwise designated for preservation (ie. Bird Drive Basin).
Meanwhile the controversy over FPL's early cost recovery, allowing hundreds of millions to be spent on two new nuclear power plants at Turkey Point -- to cost over $20 billion -- is nowhere in the Miami Herald.
Instead of reporting on Twitter spats involving a very pudgy salesman and FPL, the Miami Herald ought to report on sea level rise and nuclear power at sea level: instead of burying its head in the sand, the Herald ought to focus on when FPL should begin planning to decommission the nuclear plants at Turkey Point.
Meanwhile the controversy over FPL's early cost recovery, allowing hundreds of millions to be spent on two new nuclear power plants at Turkey Point -- to cost over $20 billion -- is nowhere in the Miami Herald.
Instead of reporting on Twitter spats involving a very pudgy salesman and FPL, the Miami Herald ought to report on sea level rise and nuclear power at sea level: instead of burying its head in the sand, the Herald ought to focus on when FPL should begin planning to decommission the nuclear plants at Turkey Point.
6 comments:
Pls! a trump twitter spat is EXACTLY what herald readers want. I'll bet it get top views. Along with Obama Zumbaing at Gwen Cherry Park with hundreds of power players and media watching. At least 100 cops, paramedics and secret service on site. Meanwhile literally blocks away while the first lady photo ops for fitness, three kids are shot in a drive by. Too bad they didn't go to the park instead of staying at home.
The community once again shoots itself in the foot while in the national spotlight.
Trump didn't realize that you have to pay money to bury lines. He expected them to just disappear by using Twitter. FPL makes it very tough to bury lines. The technology has advanced enough that an entire industry of products and installers cater to under-grounding.
Question?
...the official @insideFPL account tweeted: “Happy to oblige, but we’re sure Mr. Trump wouldn’t expect a handout at the expense of FPL customers.”
So WHY does FPL think it is entitled to a double handout from ratepayers for Early Cost Recovery-nukes and then interest on the value of that Capital investment?!?!
Oh yeah, I remember....political money does not talk...it SCREAMS!
FPL doesn't need to buy the Herald. They have accomplished the same goal for less by buying a lot of ads. The Herald is up against the ropes and will do backflips to keep a well-paying advertiser. Note, for instance, that the Herald removed John Dorschner's critical article from the website in which he detailed safety violations at Turkey Point, but kept FPL's rebuttal on the website. FPL already regulates Herald content just like they regulate the PSC. Brilliant. And since they put so much into state legislative races, they pretty much control the legislature too. That leaves the ornery little municipalities on South Dixie highway as the only institutional holdouts.
Oh PLEASE!!! The tea party and just your regular run of the mill PUBS don't mind the regular folks paying more for their electric bills because they get paid back with their dividend checks.
Do the research. Dividends paid by FPL have risen sharply since Early Cost Recovery was passed. Their stock went from ho hum dividends to about #3 on the must buy list. The only thing that changed was the infusion of ECR cash. If you pay for everyday maintainance and upgrades with Early Cost Recovery dollars instead of the standard rate you do have a lot of money left over to pay stockholders.
Creative budgeting. Who said they "had" to build new reactors.
With early cost recovery, FPL gets to charge you 12% interest on what they buy with your own money! And early cost recovery is just one trick in FPL's bag. They get more pass-throughs than any other utility. Wall Street loves it.
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