FPL 2009-2018 Site Resource Plan Needs Improvements

Every year, FPL makes a new 10 year Resource Site Plan and delivers it to the government of the state of Florida. The purpose of this Plan is to project the electricity needs, employing the best methods for forecasting population growth and electric consumption. This further allows FPL to align the resources that it needs to generate and distribute electricity. (Energy producing plants and Power transmission lines)

This 2009 plan results, show that FPL needs to increase capacity by 4.2 GW during the next 10 years, which is about 18% above the current production levels. This outcome takes into consideration an increase in population growth, commercial, industry and public use, minus, the reduction in average consumption per account due to efficiency usage. All this information can be found in FPL web site. No electrical supply is expected from purchases made to Home owners.

Electricity will not come from Net Metering. All of it will be generated from FPL's current power plants with the following changes:

* Some of the Oil plants will be converted to Gas, to reduce gas emission and boost capacities. These conversions could provide a 1.8 GW increase. However, there still will be some plants burning Oil at the end of the period. Note, that although Gas is cleaner than Oil, it still burns and contributes to global warming
* Upgrade the current 4 nuclear reactors to boost capacity by 0.4 GW.
* Build and commission two more nuclear reactors to increase current capacity by 1.9 GW
* Develop three Solar projects in DeSoto, Brevard and Martin County, which all together may provide a 0.1 GW of additional capacity. The Babcock Ranch project was not included in the plan.

In essence, FPL plan for the next 10 years, circumscribes their resource realignment to a few actions mostly in Fossil fuels (Gas) and Nuclear Power. Three new solar projects which could represent about 0.4% of total capacity are irrelevant and only serve to send a politically correct message. The rest of the power growth is a 50% increase in nuclear capacity. In other words, the future for Floridian residents in terms of electric supply is using more gas and more nuclear reactors. Hopefully the two coal plants in Jacksonville and Monroe are the ones being removed from service and placed on reserve status.

2008 results were the best financial results the company has ever had with net profits of 1.6 billion. This marks the greatest achievements management has ever made, if success is measured by money. Additionally, Company's management has done well in positioning the company as a clean energy leader, in the mind of politicians and corporate America. With their strong prestige, FPL can gain authorization for anything they may request. Also, last month FPL was awarded for the third time, one of the most ethical companies in the world by Ethi-sphere Magazine. Even if Solar and Wind in Florida is a nominal fraction, FPL insist with a great deal of advocate support from all corners in USA, that gas and nuclear are clean energy. Therefore, the only contaminants FPL management's needs for the public to bear in mind is the Coal and Oil plants which they are addressing, but may still be around at the end of the planning period.

As we are all aware, gas needs to burn thus emitting green house gases and contributing to climate change. Nuclear energy creates radioactive waste which is toxic and last thousands of years. Additionally there are many dangers in manipulating nuclear fission and very high cost in security, oversight, layers of institutions and hope that all work well to maintain people and world safe.

The next few paragraphs enunciates an analytical rational against nuclear:

FPL will Erect Two Additional Nuclear Reactors For Turkey Point Florida.

Premise:Nuclear energy source is clean and does not emit carbon gases, therefore it is OK
Fallacy:Radioactive waste can be managed and handle. At least nobody who we know, will ever die from Radioactive toxicity. Furthermore, we are smart enough to handle Radioactive waste.

Currently, FPL's 4 nuclear reactors should be generating about 20 tons each, per year of nuclear waste. This means that FPL probably accumulates 80 tons of nuclear waste p/year. With 30 years of past operation, FPL has probably accumulated 2,400 tons of radioactive waste. Adding 2 more reactors in Florida, increase radioactive waste by 50% per year, to about 120 tons per year, for all 6 nuclear reactors. New radioactive waste added every year to the previous accumulation and projecting a few years forward will lead to a deadly build up of nuclear waste. Over time, there will be a sufficient radioactive mass to materialize a tragedy that could create, uninhabited wastelands in the planet.

From Wikipedia. "Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations to come" Using nuclear reactors that generate an ever growing toxic waste levels, is not Sustainable development. The containers will not hold the radioactive material for long, and radioactivity will seep into the ground and underwater wells..

Nuclear energy for generating electricity was used in a younger more naive world (20th Century), in which people had no choice for generating the energy they needed to advance civilization. In those days, 443 nuclear reactors were built (1950-1980) and installed. Now 27 additional new reactors are in the pipeline, all in foreign countries without considering the two for FPL. Just India is adding 8 and both Chinas 5, and Russia 4.

Proceeding to Erect the two nuclear reactors creates the following situations:

* Increases the overall risk and danger for all south Florida residents, of nuclear meltdown, nuclear fumes, security issues, correctness of the inspections, staff mishandling, equipment failure, terrorism, oversight, etc. Whatever could go wrong, sooner or later? will.
* Very large investment will be made for the privilege of getting two more very dangerous nuclear reactors, which need to be paid by consumers. Hopefully, by the time these nuclear plants are commissioned, many consumers will not want this electricity, due to feasible solar alternatives
* What will FPL do without Yucca Mountain as a repository of nuclear waste? What is FPL doing with the 2,400 tons they currently have produced?
* FPL actions tie the US government's hands to influence all other countries not to install nuclear power. What moral authority could the US have to ask India not to develop the nuclear reactors currently in the pipeline?

The last message FPL wishes to sends to all of us common people, is that its mission is to generate and distribute electricity, and residents need not get involved nor be concerned. FPL very humbly, will generate all the electricity Floridians need regardless of residents asking to supply electricity, using sun and their roofs for harnessing electricity. The company did not accept nor even look at the new participative business model recommended in the article: FPL. A New Opportunity and New Beginning.

Please feel free to comment below or to share this article with whom ever you feel should see it. Your opinion could be important to FPL management.