Florida utilities commission rejects Everglades-area coal plant
The Florida utilities commission voted unanimously yesterday to reject a proposal for building the nation's largest coal-burning power plant there. The $5.7 billion project, put forth by Florida Power & Light Co., was booted primarily on economic grounds. But since it would have been located near the Everglades, and was all coaly, opponents rejoiced. "The Public Service Commission today made the right decision for the environment, the right decision for the Everglades, and the right decision for Florida," said Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Stephen Smith, head of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said, "It is time that FPL get serious about investing in energy efficiency and clean energy which will not threaten the future health and safety of their customers." Oh Stephen, you card. FPL protested that pollution controls would have made the facility "one of the cleanest coal plants in the nation." It has five days to ask the commission to reconsider and 30 days to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ian Katz, 06 Jun 2007
source: Palm Beach Post, Kristi E. Swartz, 06 Jun 2007
source: Naples Daily News, 05 Jun 2007
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Comments View as Flat
lifeisyoga Posted 2:07 am
09 Jun 2007
Dirty elections & dirty electricity
Can anyone explain why utilities have been so slow to embrace cooperative cogeneration facilities? From my experience living near Melbourne, FLA, it seems there is a standard development unit - take a few square miles of sacred glades, drain it, build one golf course, one grade school, one WalMart, a library, so many thousand homes, a community building, etc. If the developers are going to be that blatant about it, the least they could do is install on-site cogeneration, solar heating and cooling, etc.
As for large utility plants, why site something huge on a site which may well be under water in 50 years, with increasingly violent hurricane activity, etc.?
Oops, I forgot: Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris, etc. Can't expect clean electricity and rational public policy in the state which is poster child for dirty elections.
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