Saturday, July 16, 2016

Hawaii Rejects FPL's Mother Ship (Parent Company) NEXT ERA, In Part Because of Meager Solar In Florida. By Geniusofdespair

Next Era's (aka Next Error) purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries -- although  both Next Era and FPL were glowingly endorsed in a letter to Hawaiian Newspapers by two misguided Florida Environmentalists (Eric Draper and Eric Eikenberg) -- was rejected.

In their rejection, Hawaii's Public Service Commission questioned Next Era's:
...Commitment to 100 percent renewable energy, especially in light of its plan to convert power plants to liquefied natural gas and the small amount of rooftop solar in use in Florida.

In my bill, FPL said that .1% of their energy is derived from solar.

Here is the "Erics" stupid letter, that did not fool the Hawaiians for a minute:



​HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER​
POSTED: Nov 22, 2015

Electric utility operations require lots of water, and the Everglades and other ecosystems need fresh water. So our organizations go out of the way to make sure that Florida utilities are efficient, thrifty with water and prioritize solar energy.

One utility that always listens to Everglades advocates -- in fact, they seek our guidance -- is NextEra and its subsidiary, Florida Power & Light.

Power plant siting and mitigation, replacing dirty plants with natural gas and solar, and making power lines safer and healthier for birds and pollinators are all areas where we have reached good decisions with NextEra.

When a large utility acquires a local electric company, it's natural to have questions and concerns. We hope sharing some of our experiences will help eliminate some of your concerns.

NextEra gives back to communities across Florida. It has been a leader in the state business community, but at the same time, recognizes that environmental regulations promote both the environment and good jobs.

Unlike many of its peers, NextEra has taken a national leadership role in supporting President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan. We've worked with NextEra Energy to limit and phase out coal-fired power plants and to replace oil-fired plants with natural gas and solar.

And, here is the best part: When it modernizes or builds new plants to serve its customers, it wants our advice on how and where to build the plant -- even the solar energy fields.

Figuring out how to conserve water is a big challenge and one we are especially concerned with. That is why our organizations secured policy that capped new uses of water from the Everglades. Instead of opposing this, NextEra agreed that protecting the Everglades is important and developed a plan to use treated reclaimed wastewater instead.

Florida, like Hawaii, is facing a lot of growth. We are two of the nation's most beautiful and diverse states. You may be known for pineapples, and we may be known for oranges -- and a gulf and an ocean may separate us -- but we share a deep connection with the natural world. Our states are both blessed with beautiful climates, incredible ecology and wild treasures -- from iconic flora and fauna to breath-taking beaches that attract millions of visitors from around the world.

Our recommendation is to make sure you make your priorities clear and keep the communication lines open. A few years ago, we asked NextEra to look into moving the route for a natural gas pipeline to avoid habitat for an endangered sparrow.

"No problem," company executives said.

We also asked them to let us monitor threatened kestrels nesting in boxes on their power poles. Within weeks, our biologists were peeking into the nests. NextEra asked us for a plan to incorporate native species into the landscape for the manatee viewing center.

"Absolutely," we said.

NextEra Energy is a company that doesn't hesitate to tell it like it is. It is good at what it does, and it doesn't settle for shortcuts. It is a company you want on your side because you can count on it, and it will count on you to share your expertise with it.

NextEra Energy has been a valued collaborator and supporter of our organizations for many years. We hope Hawaii has the same experience.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, it almost touched me to tears, how selfless this power company has presented itself.
Reminds me of a Quote by a retired New Yorker to me: You got such a trusting looking face, you could rob banks!

Anonymous said...

I call bullshit on FPL's heavy rotation of patriotic commercials that are scheduled during the political shows and the news programming. Maybe they need to start showing these tributes to themselves during the Saturday morning cartoons to find an audience that believes they are a "clean and green" company.

Anonymous said...


1-'Those mistakes, coupled with some damaging commission testimony from NextEra executives, reinforced a sense of "cultural disconnect" between NextEra's ultimate intentions and public opinion in Hawaii, Moriwake said.
In a series of cross-examinations, NextEra Hawaii President Eric Gleason left doubts about how cooperative and transparent NextEra could be with Hawaii’s regulators, he said. CFO Moray Dewhurst also raised concerns about whether NextEra would honor its commitment not to lay off HEI personnel for two years."

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/wake-up-worrying-nextera-hawaiian-electric-merger-in-doubt-as-regulators/416731/
2-Hawaiian staff urges rejection of FPL! ​
http://governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OP-SOH-EX-ListDir-Testimonies-Supporting-Documents.pdf
3-Hawaiian order rejecting FPL!
https://puc.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FINAL.ORDER_.33795.Docket2015-0022.pdf

David said...

NextEra Energy, the non-regulated subsidiary of NextEra is in 27 states and Canada and was (and still may be) the largest capacity wind generator in the US. They cannot operate in Florida, but they are all over the country with a diverse generating portfolio that includes the Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire, Duane Arnold in Iowa & Point Beach in Wisconsin.

Alexandria said...

Eric Draper is still a pig. The fraud of this group of people who have been taking pay-offs from scum-ball companies like FPL is just disgusting. In 2004 I stopped talking to the so called environmentalists realizing they took money and looked the other way for years. I requested Audubon's Donations list they refused having a Brickell Ave. office was kinda the giveaway of the true fraudsters in the enviro community. The creeps who take money from the polluters is just sad. Turkey Point has been a nightmare since jump. Gas plants pollute just as much as coal. The Everglades Foundation is a fraud has been for quite a while when you look at their sponsors, when you see where they meet yearly, anyone with an ounce of caring about Florida and the Everglades knows they do not represent anything but frauds like Next Evil, Big Sugar, misdirection and lies. You could interchange the players with the likes of Hopping, Green, and Sam's, & Greenburg , Taurig the true crusaders in destroying Florida. I am so happy Hawaii told FPL to take a hike. Now if Florida would just wise up and demand Turkey Point be shut down Now. No Compromise No band aids on shotgun blasts. Demand treasonous scum like the Eric's be gone. Frankly they belong in prison.

Geniusofdespair said...

David is always the FPL cheerleader. David, my bill said their production .1% solar in the sunshine state. Nuff said.