This past week the Florida Public Service Commission voted to deny requests by the state’s two largest utilities to upgrade the state’s electrical systems by adding renewable energy, new gas turbines, a new gas pipeline, new reactors, and transmission lines. This politically motivated decision is mind-numbing in a state with an over-taxed grid and an electricity supply that has not kept up with population increases.
In this podcast Rod Adams of The Atomic Show and the Atomic Insights blog joins me for a chat about this terribly near-sighted decision, some possible motivations, and what it means for the people of Florida.
Some other links related to this story:
Renewable Energy plans will be scuttled by the FL PSC Decision.
#1 by Simon Filiatrault on January 21, 2010 - 6:57 AM
Dear John,
Like a said in another comment on Rod’s blog, only good policy based on fact and science will help make us use more nuclear and less renewable. I just watch this video about the “folly” of putting more “green” energy and less nuclear. I admit that name calling and ad hominem attacks are getting some people to stay away of some debates, but like you say those decision are “mind-numbing”. You are very polite and I admire that, but the facts remains, those decisions of putting more “green” and less nuclear is not based on science and more based on political greed not “green” decision.
You have proven time and time again as I did on my blog that the best approach to conserve and protect nature is to use the densest form of energy we have, NUCLEAR.
So I encourage people to listen to this video and put aside the fact that these people do a lot of name calling. Ask yourself in the end, why are we “rich” nation going away from those denser energy sources and more to less dense energy, while the developing nations, like China and Korea are making progress we have not seen in a long time.
Here’s the link to the video:
http://bit.ly/56P6OF
#2 by Simon Filiatrault on January 22, 2010 - 7:08 AM
On related topic of bad policies, check this video:
T Boone Pickens Billionaire Wants Tax Money For New Wind Energy Business:
#3 by Lee Popov on February 2, 2010 - 8:15 PM
I forgot, when this post came out I went and took a look at Florida’s decision (it’s 500 sum odd page pdf, freely available on the internet).
My quick scan was that they turned down the rate increase because they were already making money hand over fist.
I then moved on. YMMV.