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

Videotaped protest over sleeping Turkey Point guards costs Wackenhut CEO's job

Video of a group of South Florida activists protesting at FPL headquarters in Juno Beach over repeated instances of Wackenhut security guards caught sleeping at Turkey Point nuclear plant from 2004-06 has apparently helped prompt the resignation of Wackenhut CEO Gary Sanders.

The video was posted by Miami multimedia journalist Carlos Miller online at his website and also to YouTube, here.

Miller said on his site that within hours of his posting the video to YouTube yesterday, Wackenhut CEO Gary Sanders resigned.

Sun-Sentinel questions FPL on more Turkey Point nukes

Eye on Miami has published a South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial in Sunday's paper that refreshingly calls into question the FPL push for more nuclear reactors at Turkey Point.

The entire editorial is reprinted at Eye On Miami, so we won't spoil it for readers ...

But here's the editorial's bottom line: "Nukes might be needed, but renewables must not get shortchanged. "

The Eye on Miami post is here.

Bury those lines, Coconut Grove tells FPL

Coconut Grove Village Council Village Council has unanimously voted to have the FPL lines along 27th Avenue buried and called on the city of Miami or Miami-Dade County and FPL to pay all costs, reports Coconut Grove Grapevine.

It's the latest in the ongoing saga on what to do about unsightly power lines along 27th Avenue in the Grove. Residents wanted the lines buried, but FPL says it's "too costly" and just wants to move the concrete poles back.

Read the Grapevine post online at:

http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com/2007/09/27th-ave-saga-continues.html

And stay tuned for more ...

FPL wants another runclear plant at Turkey Point

Eye on Miami revealed yesterday that FPL wants to build another nuclear "plant" at Turkey Point in South Miami-Dade.

In a "friendly neighbor letter" supplied to Eye on Miami, FPL says that:

Today, we are are taking steps that will give us the option to construct another nuclear power plant in the future. We have selected our existing Turkey Point property, where we have safely operated two nuclear reactors for nearly 35 years, as a potential location for the additional nuclear power plant.

But, while the letter says it is an "option" an accompanying brochure published by Eye on Miami shows that they're actually talking TWO new nuclear reactors and that it's virtually a done deal!

See copies of the letter and brochure and read the full Eye on Miami post here.