Category Archives: FERC

FPL supports solar power without spending money on it –FPL to FERC

FPL doubled down on a need because it claims fracked methane is “clean”, in its FERC filing of 21 April 2014. FPL says it is “a strong supporter of solar power” even though it didn’t increase its solar capacity from 2010 to 2013 because of the lame baseload capacity excuse. FPL says it knows nothing about Export of Gas, even though Floridian LNG, located next to FPL’s Martin County “Clean Energy” Center right at the end of the Transco-Sabal-FSC pipeline, was approved for LNG export by the U.S. DoE Office Fossil Energy (FE) 14 November 2013, and Crowley Maritime’s Carib Energy was approved for export from Florida by FE 27 July 2011. And FPL says its ratepayers are not paying the costs of the pipeline, even though FPL VP of development and external affairs Pam Rauch argued in pring 29 July 2012 for a “Clean Energy” (fracked methane) Center at Cape Canaveral that was one of several mentioned by the Tampa Times 24 October 2014 as a reason for a new pipeline, and that same Pam Rauch filed PF14-2 with FERC for the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) pipeline that connects from Sabal Trail to FPL’s “Clean Energy” Center in Martin County, next to Floridian LNG. FPL doesn’t seem to know what’s going on next to it, and maybe not what its own employees are doing. I hope EPA doesn’t consider the questions it filed with FERC the same day answered by this weak tea from FPL.

April 21, 2014
Ms. Kimberly D. Bose
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20426

Subject: Southeast Market Pipelines Project
Docket Nos. PF14-1-000, PF14-2-000, and PF14-6-000

Dear Ms. Bose:

Florida Power & Light Company (“FPL”) hereby submits these comments in response Continue reading FPL supports solar power without spending money on it –FPL to FERC

The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC –Beth Gordon

Published with permission of the author, who stressed she sent this email “Not as a member of Spectrabusters. Just me.” I added a few links. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
Date: April 24, 2014, 8:15:30 AM EDT
To: John Peconom of FERC
Subject: EPA comments

Dear Mr. Peconum,

Does FERC, or Spectra, intend answer the questions posed by the EPA? I read their posted comments yesterday. They obviously share many people’s feeling that Sabal Trail’s claims don’t add up. Florida doesn’t need this gas. In fact right now, Florida has so much that we store it. Spectra and FPL need this amount of gas for LNG plants for export, obviously. And for the Riviera beach connection to a 46 inch pipeline to run to the Bahamas undersea. Switching over one coal plant doesn’t justify a 3 billion dollar pipeline. Especially where FPL has raised, rather than lowered, electric bills on account of this endeavor.

The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC before it awards this project, and the eminent domain rights attendant to it. Floridians will see no Continue reading The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC –Beth Gordon

FPL’s own projections don’t support need for a new pipeline

How does a 13% projected power increase justify a 33% 50% increase in fracked methane delivered by a third new pipeline? And why isn’t FPL doing more with solar power in the Sunshine State?

Updated 12 August 2014: Fixed 50% increase, which was so absurdly high that I didn’t believe it when I first wrote this. Yet 3/2 is a 50% increase.

FPL’s 10-Year Site Plan web page says:

FPL submitted its 10-Year Power Plant Site Plan 2014-2023 to the Florida Public Service Commission in April 2014.

The document includes on page 37 FPL’s own Schedule 2.1 History and Forecast of Energy Consumption And Number of Customers by Customer Class (Projected), which shows 55,739 GWh for 2014 and 62,870 GWh projected for 2023. That’s an increase of 13% over a decade. How does that (very aggressive) forecasted increase justify a natural gas increase of 33% 50% by adding a third pipeline? (And by the way, those numbers are significantly less than the numbers in FPL’s 2011 plan of Continue reading FPL’s own projections don’t support need for a new pipeline

Explain why the gas is needed –EPA to FERC

EPA isn’t buying FPL’s need for new power in Florida,

or that methane is better than many alternatives (including that renewable energy sources should be considered together, not separately), or that a pipeline is the best way to get gas (specifically suggesting Port Dolphin instead), or that any of the proposed routes are appropriate, not to mention catching inconsistent numbers of compressor stations and asking to see any non-FPL customers. And EPA asked for GIS data, as well as further information on water withdrawals and water re-emitted into the environment. My favorite is this one:

EPA recommends FERC provide in the EIS readable and comprehensible maps and figures, and clearly describe all potential impacts with the proposed action upon children’s health. For example, maps of schools, day-care facilities, multifamily housing, and hospitals should have different legend colors and be created at scales providing appropriate information, i.e., proximity of sensitive receptors to the navigation and transportation corridors.

FERC shows EPA’s comments as filed 23 April 2014, although they are dated two days earlier. -jsq

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Continue reading Explain why the gas is needed –EPA to FERC

Florida and the public have a fee interest in these lands –Florida Sierra Club to FERC

Filed with FERC 21 April 2014. -jsq

April 19, 2014

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426

RE: Sabal Trail Project: Docket No.PF14-1-000
Florida SE Connection Project: Docket No.PF14-2-000
Hillabee Expansion Project: Docket No. PF14-6-000

Continue reading Florida and the public have a fee interest in these lands –Florida Sierra Club to FERC

Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC

FERC’s ecomment system was malfunctioning, so Beth emailed this on behalf of the board, which unanimously approved it earlier that same day. She also forwarded it to John Peconom of FERC and to her U.S. Rep Ted Yoho (FL-03) and to Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). Here is contact information for your elected officials and candidates. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
To: efiling <efiling@ferc.gov>
Date: Sat, Apr 19, 2014 6:05 pm
Subject: PF14-1 Sabal Trail Pipeline

To Whom it may Concern at FERC:

I am the President of a group of citizens and landowners from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida affected by the Sabal Trail Pipeline. Here are some important questions we hope you will answer for us. We have had no answers from FERC representatives at any other time. These are the questions we would like answered:

  1. Is lack of justification of energy need by Florida sufficient for FERC staff to recommend denying a permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline? Continue reading Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC

Avoid highly sensitive water resource features –SRWMD to FERC

Filed with FERC 18 April 2014. Avoid karst limestone, unconfined aquifer, caves, springs, wetlands, drilling under rivers, blasting, or using groundwater for testing pipes or disposing of it afterwards, and where can a pipeline go?

SUWANNEE
RIVER
WATER
MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT

April 18.2014 Continue reading Avoid highly sensitive water resource features –SRWMD to FERC

Extend the comment period –Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02)

Filed with FERC 16 April 2014 with special subject “Congressional Submittal submitted in FERC PF14-1-000 by US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES”. Rep. Bishop is listening to citizens about the pipeline 10AM Thursday 17 April 2014 in Albany, GA.

SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
SECOND District, Georgia
COMMITTEE on Appropriations….

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
April 14, 2014

Ms. Cheryl A. LaFleur
Acting Chairman
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20426

Dear Acting Chairman LaFleur: Continue reading Extend the comment period –Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02)

Stop the Sabal Trail pipeline –Food & Water Watch

An ally takes action against the methane pipeline and for clean water and springs. Food & Water Watch today posted Stop the proposed natural gas highway near Florida’s Springs: Tell Florida lawmakers to keep our springs safe!

It’s linked to a petition, Sign the petition to keep the Sabal Trail Pipeline out of Florida!:

The Sabal Trail is a proposed pipeline that would run from Alabama to Florida carrying natural gas extracted through fracking. Experts fear that this pipeline will endanger our water resources as well as senstive ecosystems in Florida, like our precious springs. The pipeline will also encourage more hydraulic fracking or “fracking.” Fracking is a type of gas drilling that injects millions of gallons of hydraulic fluids — a mixture of chemicals, water and sand — into a well to create pressure that cracks open rock underground, releasing natural gas. This process can deplete and contaminate local water, damage the environment and threaten public health.

Please follow the link and sign!

-jsq

Extend the FERC scoping period and obtain critical information from Sabal Trail Transmission –Greenlaw

Two of the most organized Riverkeepers in Georgia, plus the Georgia Sierra Club and a group of landowners in Dougherty County, Georgia, have retained environmental law firm Greenlaw to address the Sabal Trail Pipeline. The task is difficult because of lack of information from Sabal Trail and from FERC. Here Steve Caley of Greenlaw spells out what his clients have asked for and how it’s been refused. You can help by also asking FERC or your elected officials to ask FERC to provide the missing information and to extend the Scoping Period. The PDF of the letter includes the attached documents. -jsq

April 7, 2014

Continue reading Extend the FERC scoping period and obtain critical information from Sabal Trail Transmission –Greenlaw