Staff Contributors
Guest Contributors

Should we laugh or cry?

Florida Power & Light on wind power

Posted by Sean Casten (Guest Contributor) at 2:46 PM on 13 Mar 2008

Read more about: wind power | energy | Florida | renewable energy

Florida Power & Light is fairly notorious as a utility that embraces competition so long as it doesn't happen in their service territory. On the regulatory side, they have worked pretty hard to make sure that no one can build power in their state except themselves. But on the unregulated side, their sister company FPL Energy has been one of the leading installers of wind turbines. (Not coincidentally, you will find that they tend not to do projects anywhere near Florida. Mind the hand that feeds you ... )

Needless to say, there are some conflicts there. Which have recently come back to bite them.

First, in 2005:

...when making an unsuccessful effort to build a coal-fired power plant in St. Lucie ... FPL officials said Florida wasn't windy enough for wind power ...

Then, in 2007, presumably for some other self-serving reason:

FPL told the state Public Service Commission it favored solar over wind projects because even Florida's offshore coastal winds are below the 17 mph needed to efficiently generate power, especially in summer when electricity usage peaks ...

And now, in 2008:

Florida Power & Light, the nation's largest provider of wind energy, says placing nine of these [wind turbines] across from its St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant -- three on beachfront state conservation land and six on property the company owns -- would power 3,000 homes. And the company thinks the sight of the giant turbines would stimulate demand for similar wind farms across the state by a citizenry eager to do its part to halt global warming.

Good news for wind, right? Maybe not, because having convinced everyone in the state that wind power didn't make sense, they're now getting Cape Wind-esque opposition from county commissioners and local environmental groups, many of whom are using their own words against them.

Love the sinner, hate the sin, right?

2 cents

The Orlando article suggests FPL gets tax write-offs and is doing it as a gesture to Crist, who they didn't support.  The state of Florida should fix their faulty incentive system and not help fund boondoggles.  

Very little wind potential in Florida -

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-06m.ht ...

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap3/3-36m.ht ...

But if they still want to raise awareness of renewable power, let them do it on their own turf but not conservation areas.  

Ah, that explains it.

Ok, that explains the confusing "Florida Power & Light" signs near the wind turbines in the otherwise dessicant San Gorgonio Pass area near Palm Springs.

http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~dean/sangorgonio.jpg

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.
sign in
Search Gristmill
Subscribe
  • subscribe via RSSStay updated with the Gristmill RSS feed.
  • Add to My Yahoo!
  • Subscribe with Bloglines
  • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
  • Subscribe in Netvibes
  • Subscribe in Google
Using Gristmill
  • What is Gristmill?
  • Posting rules
The comments of Gristmill users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?

Gristmill is powered by Scoop.

ADVERTISING POLICY


About Grist | Support Grist | Job Board | Archives | Grist by Email | RSS | Podcast
Gristmill Blog | In the News | Ask Umbra | Muckraker | Victual Reality | 'Tis the Season | The Grist List | The Bottom Line



Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
a beacon in the smog (tm) ©2008. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
Webmaster | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Trademarks