Florida Power and Light's Proposed Power Lines

Dawn Shirreffs, Florida Program Coordinator for Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund gives testimony at a South Florida Regional Planning Council sponsored meeting on power lines for the expansion of the nuclear facility at Turkey Point.

The Urban Environment League submitted our resolution on the power lines, recommending they be placed underground. As we said in a letter to Carolyn Dekle of the SFRPC:

The Urban Environment League’s Board is composed of knowledgeable people who have dedicated years of activism to our shared community. We have spent considerable time deliberating FPL’s plans. For reasons that are clear in the “WHEREAS” clauses, our resolution suggests that the proposed power lines be placed underground with a cost absorbed by all users (not just Miami-Dade residents), and that the county build its own underground transmission system to lease it back to FPL for a fee to cover capital and operational costs.

The SFRPC, at a previous meeting of their board, did NOT approve the power lines for FP&L saying more information was needed from the Corporation.

The UEL joined with others last night, including South Miami and Pinecrest, asking that the high tension lines be placed underground. The spokeswoman for FP&L, during her powerpoint, said the company would not do underground wiring. There was no responses from FP&L after the initial presentation.

Tropical Audubon Society is holding a meeting about the expansion at the Pinecrest Library, 5835 SW 111 Street, on September 24th at 6PM. If you have questions call TAS at (305) 667-7337.

Resolution on FPL Power Lines on US1

Proposed 80' tall power lines along US1, image courtesy of FPL.

TITLE
A Resolution of the Urban Environmental League in opposition to FP&L‘s proposal to utilize above ground transmission lines for power produced at the expanded Turkey Point Nuclear plant.

BODY
WHEREAS: FPL is currently expanding its nuclear generator facility located at Turkey Point in south Miami Dade County and,

WHEREAS: the people of Miami Dade County will assume any environmental risk for this expansion for future generations and,

WHEREAS: all the rate payers of FPL’s system are absorbing the construction cost of this plant currently in their monthly bills and,

WHEREAS: the increase in capacity from the plant expansion far exceeds the future needs of Miami Dade County and therefore will make available substantial power to be sold to FPL’s customers outside Miami Dade County and throughout the power grid of the entire United States and,

WHEREAS: FPL has taken the position that these transmission lines are only feasible above ground and located along US1 through the unincorporated area, the Village of Pinecrest, South Miami, Cutler Bay, Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay and,

WHEREAS: the cost of said line being placed below ground is alleged to be $18 million per mile which is a larger amount than the cost of above ground placement and,

WHEREAS: FPL has shown no credible proof of this cost differential and,

WHEREAS: FPL has stated that the required cost for the line to be placed below ground must be paid by either rate payers of Miami Dade County and/or the impacted municipalities regardless of the fact that the power transmitted will be sold through FPL’s entire system and outside that system, and,

WHEREAS: all the impacted communities have committed to make the areas along US1 livable public spaces and have adopted various plans and other actions to achieve this goal and the installation of above ground lines will be disastrous to these investments

Now, therefore it is resolved that,

1) the Urban Environmental League opposes the above ground lines on the basis of equity to the rate payers of Miami Dade County and requests the Public Service Commission and the Cabinet to address the equity issue and requests the true cost of underground to be borne by all the users of the power

2) requests the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners with the impacted municipalities to join in opposition to the above ground transmission lines including litigation if necessary and,

3) requests the Board of County Commissioners to investigate the possibility of building its own underground transmission line and charging FPL a fee for its use which covers the capital and operational cost with a rate of return equal each year to the rate of return allowed to FPL by the Public Service Commission with any surplus revenues generated by the County Commission to be used for under grounding power lines throughout Miami Dade County.