What to do with the damn, ugly Power Lines that FP&L wants to add to our landscape? Let’s run them in your backyard! By Geniusofdespair

FP&L wants two new reactors but has to have more mega lines to move the power onto the grid. One answer is to put them along our major arteries (besides US 1). Don't we have space there? What of it FDOT? Don't be greedy - share your sky space.  I also thought that 127th Avenue might be a good place to add more lines. Why not? They are already there.

The Everglades lines (I think they want two sets of them) would carry huge current capacity 500 kV. FP&L's proposed US1 line will be only 230 kV – but they are still big mothers with huge poles! I heard Commissioner Katy Sorenson discussing the lines at the July meeting and she had a great idea to put them underground. FP&L nixes the idea with a cost estimate of $18 million per linear mile to go underground. However, Sorenson cited a Southern San Francisco line  which they built underground for about $8 million per mile in 2005. You would think that FP&L, running a huge profit, could afford the underground lines.

The bigger picture issue is that FPL is in the drivers seat and they won’t let anyone else in their car:  

They virtually wrote the power plant siting act, which has short filing deadlines that benefit who else: THEM. When it comes to the power lines, the local government and the public are required to provide "alternatives" for FPL. They are off the hook for having to come up with options.  That means we have to propose new routes or modifications to routes and explain them. Like, what do I know? The icing on the cake for me is that FPL actually has the legal right to review any alternative presented and decide if they'll "accept" them for consideration.


I watched the July meeting on the power lines (not the Everglades lines) between writing blogs on other things.  Four cities along US1 already are fighting the lines.  There was a lively discussion for about an hour, and then at the end the vile Natacha Seijas 4-day-ruled it. It was her usual petty crap since the actual language of the resolution was moot because it asked FPL to consider other options.  They already made up their mind and filed their route on the last day of June.  But Natacha did it for spite anyway.

The most important part of that discussion that day was the revelation of the double-speak from FPL.  The county is up against the clock on this one – they have to get staff reviewing the plans now and putting the plans in motion to seek alternate routes or underground but some deadlines are so soon that there will be little time for action if staff has to wait for the BCC to return from recess.  What is this shit?

Sorenson ended the meeting with the direction to start setting up an "informational public hearing" as called for in the PPSA.  That will mean that FDEP and FPL will have to be here to actually answer questions (Honestly? I would hope).  I will let you know when I hear about the public meetings.