The Miami Herald and FPL--silent night, by gimleteye

The Miami Herald editorial board writes today about the water crisis in allocating scarce water resources among three southeastern states—and especially Georgia, where extreme drought conditions could turn many Atlantans into climate refugees, “any plan -- in dry and wet years -- should incorporate mandatory conservation measures for all who depend on the watershed. Atlanta needs this water as much as, but not any more than, Apalachicola's oyster industry. They both must act to conserve it.”

Fair enough. But the same is true of conservation relative to the generation of electric power. Last week the Miami Herald had the chance to say so, before the controversial zoning hearing where the county commission granted FPL a special use permit for two new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point. The Herald editorial board has been quiet as a mouse on the night before Christmas.

The first policy goal of Florida with respect to power generation should be conservation.

That hasn’t happened for the same reason that in the past water management districts haven’t demanded conservation: because the Growth Machine depends on more consumption, more construction, more profits. It is the profit model that also sells more advertisements in newspapers.

The heart of conservation is increased productivity from existing asset bases.

At the county commission, only Katy Sorenson raised any of the larger questions about productivity and efficiency and environmental stewardship.

(She endured the disrespect of fellow commissioners like Natacha Seijas, who couldn't be bothered. Apparently, Seijas was properly briefed by FPL lobbyists--unlike the contretemps earlier in the week involving the expansion of the CRA's and billions for pet projects.)

Now that the county allowed the zoning issue to squirt from its grasp, FPL and its lobbying wealth will descend on the Public Service Commission.

It is up to the Public Service Commission to do the right thing and set aside the FPL application, by insisting first that every measure for conservation be exhausted by industry before any new nuclear capacity is added in the state.

A good start would be for the Florida legislature to set ground rules for utilities to earn more profit per unit through conservation than through standard operations.

FPL touts its record as the largest producer of wind power in the United States and that it is leading advancements in the application of solar power, as well. The company is investing billions and believes that meeting the challenges of the crisis in climate change is a priority of the highest order.

But there are so many unanswered questions about the Turkey Point expansion plan—especially the issues of water and land fill for a site at sea level—it is a shame that the company is investing so much time and energy and so much expense that the project—to cost rate payers in the tens of billions of dollars over time—is acquiring a life of its own.

It makes me wonder if the same FPL Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Hayes, who stood recently arm-in-arm with Bill Clinton and Governor Charlie Crist knows what his Miami-Dade executives are doing.

FPL claimed, last week, that it has looked at the numbers and decided that it wont be able to meet future demand through any combination of new energy or conservation.

Absent energy reform at the state level, that may be true but it is no reason for the state to allow a business model that harms the public interest and no reason for the Miami Herald to remain silent.