Rick Scott and Cabinet approve unpopular power lines and nuclear plant

[G_j]

well, he's got some rich folks upset now..

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/13/4115433_governor-and-cabinet-approve-unpopular.html

BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU

TALLAHASSEE -- After a last-minute settlement removed the city of Coral Gables from the communities fighting Florida Power & Light, Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet granted the company permission to build two nuclear generators and 88 miles of transmission lines in Miami-Dade County.

It was a victory for the state’s largest utility, but it won’t be the last fight. Local governments, who have challenged the placement of the 80- to 150-foot-high voltage towers along the line, are now preparing to sue the state.

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Under the proposal, FPL will build two new 1,100-megawatt nuclear generators, known as Turkey Point 6 and 7, at a cost of $24 billion. The power supplied by current and future generators will be amped through two transmission lines. One will be a 230-kilovolt line running from Cutler Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami and Coral Gables to a substation in Coconut Grove; the other will be a 500-kilovolt line, along the western edge of the county, adjacent to Everglades National Park.

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Coral Gables, along with the city of Miami and the village of Pinecrest, among Miami-Dade’s most affluent communities, have argued that if FPL needs the power lines, it should install them underground to avoid the negative impact on property values and economic development. FPL has argued that the cities should pay for any potential underground power lines.

Scott and the Cabinet rejected the cities’ arguments, and also rejected appeals from the cities to prohibit FPL from building the transmission lines until it has received a license from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build the new generators.

...more ...

[TheNutcracker]

1. Interesting dynamics here politically....

While the republicans ravage the state for years now, just out of the session FPL gets this sweetheart deal.

I remember when Karen Thurman led the state democratic party in 2006 and Mark Bubrisky was the states communications director.

Karen got caught lobbying for friends of Jeb, while taking a 100K salary from the people to be the state party chairwoman. In the end, when her term was up, this Bubrisky guy, went on to become spokesman for FPL.

Sad but true. And tons of shenanigans around all of it.

[Metatron]

8. Thurman was the absolute worst.

I didn't know about Bubrisky's relationship with FPL. I'm not surprised, though.

[JeffHead]

2. What could go wrong?

Let's build 2 nuke plants at sea level that will probably be under water in 100 years but, hey I won't be around to deal with it and they are spending money now. Let's get rich boys. I guess this is what Florida gets when it gives the keys to the castle to a criminal as Governor. Let's hope the towns contesting this disaster can stop this in it's tracks. Nuke plants in Miami scare the hell out of me and I don't even live there. It's a Fukushima in the making.

[RobertEarl]

3. No Solar in the sunshine state?

For that kind of money there could be untold thousands of houses with solar panels on their roofs.

Oh wait, solar is too cheap to meter. Gotta have those meters going ching-a-ching-a-ching.

[djean111]

4. Rick Scott is going to pursue a scorched-Florida-earth agenda in the coming months, just in case

Crist wins. Building nuclear plants on the Florida coast? Not waiting for a license? Money grab.
With the water problems already existing in Miami, it is insane to build nuclear reactors on the cost, insane to run those power lines in the air or underground. I cannot believe that even the most blood-thirsty nuclear power shill would advocate building new plants on the Florida coast. or anywhere, really.

Solar will be hobbled and opposed in line with Koch-ALEC directives.

[G_j]

5. it's insane

like some creature out of Tolkien, bent on destruction and mayhem.

[RockaFowler]

6. I can't believe this

Oh and the St Lucie Nuclear Plant by me is over 30 years old. No timetable to fix it at all. And it is also right on the coastline (across the street from the ocean!). No solar power plants in Florida. I guess we don't need them. And underground lines would be perfect here. Anyone remember hurricanes?? Yeah the power lines were the first to go during the storms - except on Palm Beach. Yeah everything is underground there, so no power loss. Hmm?!

[G_j]

7. Hurricanes?

in FLA??