Monthly Archives: August 2014

Duke withdraws Suwannee and Polk plant plans

August 30, 2014Economy, FERC, Florida, Polk County, Solar, Suwannee Countyconservation, Duke Energy, Duval County, Economy, efficiency, FERC, Florida, John S. Quarterman, Polk County, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Opposition to the Sabal Trail pipeline may be having more widespread effects. The same day FERC told Sabal Trail to pay attention to karst limestone sinkhole opposition, Duke announced it wasn’t going to “modernize” that plant. Two days later, Sabal Trail told one of that opposition that it was considering moving its Suwannee River crossing upstream, that is, away from Duke’s Suwannee Plant, Coincidence?

Ivan Penn wrote for Tampa Bay Times 26 August 2014, In flip-flop, Duke Energy will buy existing power plant, not build one, Continue reading Duke withdraws Suwannee and Polk plant plans →

FPL to purchase NextEra gas fracking subsidiary in Oklahoma

August 30, 2014Alabama, Economy, Ethics, FE, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, LNG, Martin County, SolarAlabama, Debra Johnson, Economy, Ethics, FE, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridian LNG, FPL, FSC, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, LNG, LNG export, Martin County, NextEra Energy, NextEra Energy Gas Producing, NextEra Energy Resources, Oklahoma, PetroQuest, Riviera Beach, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, SpectraBusters, Transco, Williams Company, Woodford Shale, WSGP Gas ProducingJohn S. Quarterman

FPL integrated ownership of fracking and pipelines to LNG export for its profit, at the expense of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida landowners, U.S. natural gas customers, and of course FPL ratepayers: that’s what FPL is hoping to wrap up at the Florida PSC.

FPL wants to buy the 50% its parent NextEra Energy bought of “independent” PetroQuest’s Oklahoma fracking operation back in 2010 before FPL put out its December 2012 RFP for what ended up being the Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC methane pipeline to Martin County, Florida, plus an FPL pipeline from there to the sea at Riviera Beach. where meanwhile three LNG export operations have been authorized and a fourth LNG export operation has reqeusted a permit from FERC.

FPL’s PR of 25 June 2014 doesn’t mention most of the above, not even that NextEra already owns half of PetroQuest’s Oklahoma fracking operation. FPL proposes innovative plan to invest in natural gas to save customers millions of dollars and lower long-term fuel costs, Continue reading FPL to purchase NextEra gas fracking subsidiary in Oklahoma →

Supervisors oppose any Spectra alignment through Rappahannock County , VA

August 29, 2014Agriculture, Economy, VirginiaAgriculture, Duke Energy, Economy, John S. Quarterman, Rappahannock County, RFP, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

One month before Spectra “suspended” its Pennsylvania to Carolina pipeline plans, a Virginia county passed a resolution saying it didn’t want it. Not just please don’t cross our river like Hamilton County, Florida. Don’t come through here at all, said Rappahannock County, Virginia.

Piedmont Environmental Council, Rappahannock County Passes Resolution Opposing Spectra Alignment

A resolution titled “Rappahannock County Opposition To The Construction of An Underground Natural Gas Transmission LIne within Its Jurisdiction,” was passed by the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors on July 7, 2014. The resolution urges Duke Energy to select another proposed corridor for its energy needs.

Here’s the resolution. Continue reading Supervisors oppose any Spectra alignment through Rappahannock County , VA →

Explain karst, sinkholes, discrepencies, and routes around Albany and the Withlacoochee River –FERC to Sabal Trail

August 27, 2014Alabama, Dougherty County, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Lowndes County, Tift CountyAlabama, Albany, Dougherty County, FGT, Florida, Georgia, Greenlaw, Hamilton County, Hillabee Alternative, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, SpectraBusters, Tift County, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

FERC just directed Sabal Trail to actually address problems raised by citizens and local government agencies, plus numerous discrepencies FERC itself detected. Opposition to this unnecessary and hazardous fracked methane pipeline is having effects, even with rubberstamping FERC. But watch out Tifton, Valdosta, Thomasville, and The Villages! You’re now on possible routes.

Sabal Trail is to provide details for Greenlaw’s route-around-Albany proposals on behalf of Sierra Club and others Valdosta, you’re back in two proposed routes, the the one you saw last summer, plus one down I-75 that would go right past Lowndes High School and also past The Villages in sinkhole-prone Sumter County, Florida. Tifton, you’re not safe; look at that Hillabee route. Thomasville watch out: you’re on a new proposed route.

Sabal Trail is to provide alternatives to minimize effects on or completely avoid the Withlacoochee River, and this is even before the Hamilton County Commission’s resolution against the pipeline gets to FERC.

FERC’s letter is peppered with requirements to cooperate with federal, state, and local agencies especially including about land use and environmental requirements and land approvals.

It explicitly says that all surveys Continue reading Explain karst, sinkholes, discrepencies, and routes around Albany and the Withlacoochee River –FERC to Sabal Trail →

Pipelines as enemy targets

August 27, 2014Corrosion, Explosion, Hazards, Leak, Politics, Safety, Treescorrosion, Egypt, explosion, FPL, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, leak, natural gas, pipeline, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sinai, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, target, terrorism, Transco, Trees, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Natural gas or oil pipelines are natural enemy targets, in addition to the way they frequently blow up on their own. Why build such hazards when solar power is faster, cheaper, cleaner, and doesn’t blow up?

Elad Benari wrote for Arutz Sheva 17 January 2014, Sinai Terrorists Blow Up Natural Gas Pipeline,

Strong explosion rocks central Sinai after explosives were planted beneath the gas pipeline connected to cement factories in the area.

What happens if someone blows up a solar array? Flying glass, which is bad, but nothing like blowing up the explosive fuel inside a natural gas or oil pipeline, not to mention distributed rooftop solar arrays would be very hard to destroy enough of to match the energy denial of one damaged pipeline.

Gas pipelines in Egypt has been attacked more than a dozen times Continue reading Pipelines as enemy targets →

Spectra suspends mid-Atlantic pipeline to the sea

August 27, 2014Highland County, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West VirginiaDuke Energy, Highland County, John S. Quarterman, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rappahannock County, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Virginia, West VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

Pipeline objections from landowners, taxpayers, local and state government agencies, environmental groups, and historical societies caused mighty Spectra to “suspend” its unnamed $4 billion methane pipeline from Pennsylvania fracking grounds through Virginia to Duke Energy plants near the sea in North Carolina. Similar opposition can make Spectra and Williams and FPL and Duke think again about their proposed $3 billion Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC hundred-foot gouge through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida to three already-authorized LNG export operations in Florida.

This was apparently the first report, by John Bruce, for The Recorder of Monterey, Highland County, Virginia, 7 August 2014, Spectra suspends pipeline proposal, Continue reading Spectra suspends mid-Atlantic pipeline to the sea →

Russian South Stream natural gas pipeline no longer dead certain

August 27, 2014Economy, LNG, Politics, Russia, SolarBlack Sea, Blue Stream, dead certain, Economy, EU, FPL, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Politics, Russia, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, South Stream, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Vladimir PutinJohn S. Quarterman

Even Putin couldn’t push a pipeline past opponents. Russia’s formerly “dead certain” South Stream natural gas pipeline around Ukraine now has “potential for huge delays. Sceptics wonder whether it will happen at all.” Gazprom used the same pipeline-pushing script as Spectra, and that ended up as farce. So maybe Sabal Trail isn’t “moving forward”, either. State and local permitting, or just plain public opposition, could turn that Sabal Trail pipeline snake into roadkill, so we can get on with solar power for real economic benefits without eminent domain and with clean air and water.

Guy Chazan wrote for Financial Times 24 August 2014, South Stream gas project may now be a pipe dream,

In November 2005, a pipeline called Blue Stream was inaugurated to bring Russian gas across the Black Sea to Turkey. It was, said President Vladimir Putin, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Continue reading Russian South Stream natural gas pipeline no longer dead certain →

Avoid the Withlacoochee River and karst limestone –Hamilton Co. FL to FERC

August 26, 2014FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, Wateraquifer, Chris Mericle, FERC, FL-DEP, Florida, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, karst, limestone, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, SRWMD, Suwannee River Water Management District, Water, Withlacoochee River, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

After citizens familiar with the springs, shoals, and sinkholes of the Withlacoochee River and the fragile karst limestone that contains them and the Floridan Aquifer, source of drinking water for all of Florida and south Georgia, the north Florida county of Hamilton passed a resolution asking FERC to have the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline avoid those geological formations. According to a letter already forwarded to FERC by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and also quoted in part to FERC by the Suwannee River Water Management District, that would mean there’s basically nowhere that pipeline would be safe in north Florida (or south Georgia, which has the same limestone substrate).

Joyce Marie Taylor updated in the Suwannee Democrat 25 August 2014, Hamilton fights back against Sabal Trail pipeline,

A special meeting was called on Friday, Aug. 22, and the board voted to pass Resolution 14-10 that expressed their concerns about the proposed pipeline route across the Withlacoochee River that forms the western boundary of Hamilton County.

A portion of the resolution states, Continue reading Avoid the Withlacoochee River and karst limestone –Hamilton Co. FL to FERC →

State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline

August 24, 2014Alabama, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Georgia, Jefferson County, Law, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, PHMSA, WaterAlabama, FERC, FL PSC, FL-DEP, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, GA EPD, GA PSC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, permit, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Suwannee River Water Management District, Williams Company, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

The Florida Public Service Commission has a special say in the Southeast Market Pipelines Project because the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) leg of this pipeline is completely inside Florida and completely owned by FPL, a Florida regulated electric utility. And Florida has a say because the entire excuse for the three-part Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC project is that supposedly Florida needs the power (it doesn’t, but that’s the excuse). FPL is getting so desperate for public acceptance of this boondoggle they pressed their own CEO, Eric Silagy, into attempting to rebut Our Santa Fe River’s latest entry in the op-ed debate.

Sabal Trail and FERC would like everyone to believe state regulators have no say, but that’s just not true. It’s not even clear GA PSC has no say, considering that Continue reading State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline →

Radium Springs against Sabal Trail pipeline in Dougherty County

August 22, 2014Dougherty County, Economy, Georgia, Hazards, Safety, WaterDougherty County, Economy, Flint River, Georgia, Gloria Gaines, Government, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Radium Springs, Safety, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Another neighborhood in Dougherty County discovers it doesn’t like the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, including because it would further endanger the already threatened Flint River.

Sharon Wiggins wrote for WALB 19 August 2014, Dougherty County residents speak out against proposed pipeline,

Members of the Radium Springs community met Tuesday night to express their concerns about the proposed route of the Sabal pipeline project. The nearly 500 mile pipeline begins in Alabama, stretches through Georgia and ends in Florida. Those against it are concerned about the human, economic and environmental impacts it could have.

“We know that the Flint River is one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the United States,” said Gloria Gaines, Former Dougherty County Commissioner.”They’re concerned about the impacts that it could have on the ability to farm, to hunt, to fish, to recreate.”
Continue reading Radium Springs against Sabal Trail pipeline in Dougherty County →