Statewide power blackout: Turkey Point or substation the cause?

FPL gave differing reports Tuesday about the cause of a power outage that left an estimated 3 million Floridians from Daytona to the Florida Keys without power.

According to a story posted at the website of NBC-6, the cascading blackout shut down Turkey Point nuclear plant and left about a fifth of the state's population without power, snarling evening rush-hour traffic for many commuters. But, FPL issued differing reasons for the blackout:

An FPL spokesman initially said its nuclear plant caused the outages. But the utility's nuclear spokesman, Dick Winn, later said the electric grid problems caused both Turkey Point reactors to shut down.

For great video footage and the full story at the NBC-6 website, click here.

FPL's St. Lucie wind-turbine plan illegal, says Commissioner

St. Lucie County Commissioner Doug Coward has said flat out that FPL plans to put wind turbines on public conservation land within the county is illegal.

In a story this week published online at TCPalm.com, Coward was quoted as saying FPL plant to put six wind turbines "on property it owns and three on Blind Creek Park — state-owned environmentally sensitive land leased by the county" is illegal because voters never authorized construction of the turbines on the conservation property.

In 1994, St. Lucie County voters agreed by referendum to pay additional taxes so the county could acquire environmentally significant land for recreation and the protection of wildlife habitat. Coward read the ballot language to residents, which he called clear and unambiguous.

"If you notice there is no mention of an industrial wind turbine in that referendum language," Coward said. “The county attorney has reviewed the proposal, and he has determined the use of this site (Blind Creek) is illegal. What are we debating? Let’s all go home.”

Read the full story online, here.

UPDATE: FPL drops bid to put wind turbines on public land