Tag Archives: wind

Six rehearing requests to FERC, including from Sabal Trail and Transco

March 19, 2016Alabama, Compressor, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Solar, WaterAir, Alabama, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Inc, BREDL, compressor, Economy, environment, FERC, Florida, G.B.A. ASSOCIATES LLC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Jonathan P. Waters Attorney at Law, Law, solar, SpectraBusters, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC, Water, windJohn S. Quarterman

The pipeline companies want rehearings, apparently because they don’t like the restrictions the FERC order put on them, so maybe we’ll actually see a rehearing. The other four rehearing requests all don’t like what FERC certified Sabal Trail to do, and some have new reasons beyond what was in the FEIS or the docket beforehand. Poor FERC! Nobody likes your Order! How about stop permitting new fossil fuel projects and promote renewable sun and wind power instead?

The six requests for rehearings, including one by Transco and one by Sabal Trail, all conveniently grouped by FERC in a subdocket at the end of the results if you search for CP15-17 in FERC’s Docket Search: Continue reading Six rehearing requests to FERC, including from Sabal Trail and Transco →

FPL pushing FERC to rubberstamp Sabal Trail: time to push back

January 25, 2016Alabama, FERC, Florida, Georgia, SolarAlabama, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, SpectraBusters, windJohn S. Quarterman

How about not in February or March for the Sabal Trail FERC permit?

FPL is pushing FERC to rubberstamp Sabal Trail (and FSC and Transco’s Hillabee) by February 1^st. Nevermind FERC said when it issued its FEIS that its target for “considering” a permit was March.

Since FERC hasn’t fixed its process as four Georgia Congressmen demanded, how about FERC stop its process until it is fixed? You may also want to ask your members of Congress to ask FERC to do that.

There are no more FERC Commision meetings in January, and none of the other meetings scheduled for January or February are about Sabal Trail, so apparently FERC did not jump when FPL went frog. However, beware that no agenda is yet posted for the Commission meetings of 18 February 2016 or 17 March 2016. The time to head off a FERC permit is now.

Filed with FERC 11 January 2016 as Accession Number 20160111-5226, “Florida Power & Light Company’s Letter in Support of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project under CP14-554, et. al..”: Continue reading FPL pushing FERC to rubberstamp Sabal Trail: time to push back →

Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points

May 26, 2015Economy, Environment, LNG, Oregon, Solar, WaterEconomy, eminent domain, environment, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, LNG, LNG export, Oregon, Pacific Connector, Palmetto Project, pollution, property rights, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Water, Williams Company, windJohn S. Quarterman

An Oregonian thoroughly explodes the standard pipeline script:

“I guess we could stand having a 232-mile IED in our backyard if it is really benefits the public. But who, exactly, is the public here?”

His Canadian pipeline moguls are actually both from Houston, Texas: Williams Company with its Washington Expansion Project (WEP) getting its fracked methane from Spectra Energy’s Westcoast Pipeline. Oh, this is another Williams pipeline: Pacific Connector, going to the same Jordan Cover LNG export terminal as WEP. The same Williams Company of Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project to feed Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail pipeline. The same Sabal Trail that’s suing a Georgia Centennial Family Farm tomorrow in Moultrie, Georgia. All the pipeline companies seem to follow the same script, including Kinder Morgan for its Palmetto Pipeline. And this Oregonian answered for all of us facing pipeline invaders.

Diarmuid McGuire, Ashland Daily Tidings, 22 January 2015, Guest Opinion: We’re Oregonians, but we’re not stupid, Continue reading Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points →

U.S. Senate hearing on LNG export, pipelines, solar, smart grid tomorrow 2015-05-14

May 13, 2015Law, LNG, Solarenergy, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Government, infrastructure, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Senate, solar, SpectraBusters, windJohn S. Quarterman

Many energy infrastructure bills to be considered tomorrow, some apparently bad: S. 411 — Natural Gas Gathering Act “To authorize the approval of natural gas pipelines and establish deadlines and expedite permits for certain natural gas gathering lines on Federal land and Indian land.” That one proposed by the same Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso who complained about conflicts of interest for former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff until he resigned; the same Senator who didn’t like that new FERC Chair Norman Bay mentioned sun first among New Mexico’s abundant energy resources. Sourcewatch says “John Barrasso has voted in favor of big oil companies on 100% of important oil related bills, according to Oil Change International.”

Some bills to be considered tomorrow are apparently good: S. 1237 – To amend the Natural Gas Act to limit the authority of Continue reading U.S. Senate hearing on LNG export, pipelines, solar, smart grid tomorrow 2015-05-14 →

Seize the opportunity to end fossil fuels and soar with sun, wind, and water power

March 30, 2015History, Solardivestment, gas, History, John S. Quarterman, Naomi Klein, oil, solar, SpectraBusters, windJohn S. Quarterman

The opportunity is here right now, with oil and gas dropping while solar power goes up like a rocket. We can end the century-long domination of fossil fuels and get on with a cleaner, safer, more prosperous world powered by sun, wind, and water. Oh, and pry those clammy oily hands off our political systems while we’re at it. Solar power is going to win anyway. And we have the opportunity to speed that victory fast enough to stop the fracking-junkie pipeline push, including stopping Sabal Trail and the Palmetto Pipeline.

Jon Queally, Commondreams, 25 March 2015, Naomi Klein: Shock of Oil Price Plunge Is Opportunity World Must Seize,

“Sometimes capitalism gives us a gift, and the sudden drop in oil prices is one of them. Think of what we could do, in rolling out renewable energy, for instance. We could take power and wealth generation away from multinationals and put it into the hands of communities. And we could ensure that the jobs paid a living wage and went to the people who need it most. The same goes for our food and transit systems.”

Continue reading →

FPL’s parent NextEra buys Hawaii’s biggest utility for green energy transition

December 5, 2014Economy, Florida, History, SolarBloomberg, Economy, Florida, FPL, Hawaii, History, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, renewable energy, solar, SpectraBusters, transition, windJohn S. Quarterman

While FPL wants to frack Oklahoma, its parent corp. wants to green Hawaii. Do they even talk?

Mark Chediak and Ehren Goossens, Bloomberg, 4 December 2014, NextEra Buys Hawaii’s Biggest Utility in Green Energy Test,

“You can think about Hawaii as a postcard from the future of what’s going to happen in the electric industry in the United States,” James Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra, said by phone interview yesterday. “As renewable generation gets cheaper, as electric storage becomes more efficient and possible, all electric utilities are going to have to face this.”

What’s FPL making Florida, then? A test case for the failed past?

Bloomberg says about NextEra’s Hawaii Electric purchase:

Including debt, the total value of the transaction is about $4.3 billion.

That’s not much more than FPL’s Sabal Trail pipeline boondoggle. How about cancel that pipeline and the fracking and green Florida into… the Sunshine State!

-jsq

Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes?

July 5, 2014Colquitt County, Economy, Environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Lowndes County, Marion County, Solar, TreesAndrea Grover, Brian Fahrenthold, cigarettes, Colquitt County, Dunnellon, Economy, environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Greg Ebel, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Marion County, methane, Moultrie, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, sustainabile, Tobacco, Trees, Trenton, Valdosta, windJohn S. Quarterman

What company prints its sustainability report on wind-powered paper, yet pipes a greenhouse gas 20 times worse than CO₂? Yep, it’s Spectra Energy, also bragging about how respectful they are to Sabal Trail “stakeholders”. Selling fracked methane through a 36-inch pipe in a hundred-foot gash through forests and wetlands with a thousand-foot explosive radius is like selling cigarettes and claiming you’re for good health. Tobacco companies can’t get away with that any more, and why should fossil fuel companies?

On the very last page of a 16-page report, 2013 Sustainability Highlights Report, Spectra Energy says:

This paper is manufactured using clean, renewable wind-power energy and carbon offsets for additional savings.

That’s the only mention of wind or renewable energy in the document, while solar power is not mentioned even once.

And look at Spectra’s Purpose on page 2: Continue reading Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes? →

Build FPL’s natural gas pipeline or not? –Palm Beach Post

June 2, 2014Economy, Environment, Florida, Fracking, Hazards, LNG, Martin Countycoal, Economy, environment, Eric Silagy, export, Florida, FPL, Fracking, Hazards, indirect, induced, jobs, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Martin County, NextEra Energy, oil, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Post, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, T. Boone Pickens, windJohn S. Quarterman

FPL’s hometown newspaper never mentions solar or wind in an opinion piece asking whether you think the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is a good idea. You can comment directly in the newspaper. Maybe you’d like to send your comments to FERC, as well.

Palm Beach Post Opinion Staff wrote yesterday, Should FPL’s natural gas pipeline be built?

NextEra Energy, parent of Florida Power & Light, is contracting with Spectra Energy to run a natural gas pipleine 591 miles through the heart of the state, ending in Martin County.

FPL President Eric Silagy says the company needs the additional pipeline to provide redundancy and added capacity to the state’s existing natural gas pipleines. FPL is now the nation’s largest consumer of natural gas, he says.

It’s curious how FPL’s own projections in its 10-year plan don’t support Continue reading Build FPL’s natural gas pipeline or not? –Palm Beach Post →

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

April 24, 2014Economy, FERC, Florida, Solardeath spiral, Economy, EPA, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, FPL, John S. Quarterman, Jon Wellinghoff, power, projection, PV, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, SpectraBusters, windJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

Sabal Trail solar and wind misinformation

February 27, 2014Alabama, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Solar, TreesDuke Energy, eminent domain, FERC, FPL, Georgia Power, John S. Quarterman, rooftop, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, transparency, Williams Transco, windJohn S. Quarterman

A few weeks ago John Peconom of FERC referred me to Sabal Trail’s comments on solar power; something about all the area you’d have to clear to provide as much energy as that 36-inch pipeline. OK, I’ve looked, and it’s the same kind of disinformation Georgia Power used to spout about you’d need to clear an area the size of Atlanta to power Atlanta with solar power. Nevermind you already have an area that size: it’s called Atlanta! Rooftops, parking lots, streets, etc.: plenty of room. And Sabal Trail’s disinformation completely ignores that solar power (and wind) are growing far faster than methane energy production. If this is FERC’s justification for eminent domain to get fracked gas to Florida, it’s a very flimsy justification indeed. We shouldn’t expect anything more from a company that would profit by that eminent domain. But we should expect more from a tax-funded federal agency that is supposed to represent we the people.

Bear in mind that all new U.S. electric generation in September 2012 came from wind and solar. In October 2013 72.1% of all new U.S. capacity came from solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), using data from FERC itself. And FERC doesn’t even count the million solar rooftops that are going in.

In 10.3.3 Non-Gas Energy Alternatives in its Draft Resource Report 10: Alternatives (RR10), Sabal Trail correctly dismisses dirty and expensive coal, oil, and nuclear, and even hydro as major energy sources for flat Florida. However, what’s in there about wind and solar is just plain bogus. Continue reading Sabal Trail solar and wind misinformation →