Florida consumers, led by mayors, oppose nuclear power companies’ bailout

Fla. Mayors Oppose Nuclear “Cost Recovery” Bailout Why the Outrage? Florida Ratepayers Would Have To Pay Additional Hundreds of Millions of Dollars In Advance for New Nuclear Reactors That May Never Be Built Clean energy.org, Miami, Fla. (October 20, 2011) — The mayors of South Miami and Pinecrest are leading the Florida consumer opposition against the most recent cost recovery request for new nuclear power, which would allow state utilities Florida Power & Light (FPL) and Progress Energy Florida (PEF) to collect more than a third of a billion dollars from Florida families and businesses, including senior citizens, in 2012 for developing new nuclear reactors and expansion of existing nuclear plants.
The latest Florida bailout by ratepayers of the nuclear industry will be voted on at a Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) meeting being held on October 24, 2011.

The mayors are also encouraging Floridians who oppose paying up front for uncertain nuclear projects to speak out to the PSC by sending a letter through an online campaign athttp://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8362.

The cities of South Miami, Pinecrest, and Biscayne Park – along with the Miami-Dade League of Cities – have all passed resolutions opposing the nuclear cost recovery law. Other state lawmakers have also worked to repeal legislation already approved, including Sen. Mike Fasano (District 11-R), who originally voted for cost recovery but changed his mind after seeing the negative impacts to customers, and Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda (District 9-D), who twice introduced repeal legislation, most recently the current Florida HB 4031.

South Miami Mayor Dr. Philip Stoddard stated: “We’re being charged up front for unproven nuclear reactor designs that we don’t want near our homes, that will double the price of electricity, and that take the money from renewable power we do want. But Florida ratepayers are still required to pay in advance for costs associated with these nuclear reactors. And if the reactors aren’t built, we don’t get our money back. This cancer cannot go unchecked.”…..

If they gain PSC approval again this year, the two utilities will have been granted access to over one billion dollars from Florida’s families and businesses…..

Cooper added: “The proposed Florida reactor delivery dates have already been pushed back by half a decade and FPL still has not yet decided whether to actually build the reactors. In addition, all of the factors that looked bad for more nuclear in Florida in 2009 and 2010 continue to be true. Many have continued to develop in a manner that further undermines the long-term feasibility of ever completing these proposed nuclear reactors in Florida. As a result, it is neither reasonable nor prudent to incur additional costs for these proposed reactors.”

More information about the history of nuclear cost recovery to date in Florida can be found athttp://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/09/22/florida-nuclear-costs/.

http://www.cleanenergy.org/index.php?/Press-Update.html?form_id=8&item_id=252

October 24, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA

No comments yet.

nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope