| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: Florida
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
PB County considers 30-story wind turbines for Glades sugar fields
A St. Louis company hopes to build Florida’s first wind farm, on thousands of acres of sugar land east of Belle Glade. Wind Capital Group is looking to convert the breezes blowing off Lake Okeechobee into energy that could power homes and businesses across South Florida. The company met with Palm Beach County planners last week to begin work on changes to the county’s development rules that would be needed before its turbines could be built. The $250 million project . . . Complete story »
Progress Energy to stop wind turbine research
LAKE COUNTY – After nearly a year of research, Progress Energy claims wind power just isn’t practical here in Florida. They put a wind turbine up along the Florida Turnpike almost a year ago to see if it could generate enough electricity to make wind power worthwhile. Progress Energy official Tim Leljedal said, “The results so far have been reflective of the general understanding of wind power in Florida. It appears as though wind is not as viable in Florida as . . . Complete story »
FPL not about to blow chance to harness wind power
Despite foes, utility still looking into St. Lucie project What U.S. company produces the most wind energy? It’s Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, formerly known as FPL Group. The company has 76 wind farms in 17 states and Canada. Its roughly 9,000 wind turbines are capable of producing enough emissions-free energy to power about 1.9 million homes. Florida, where wind resources are considered minimal, has no wind farms, and Florida Power & Light Co., NextEra . . . Complete story »
Angry regulators close FPL renewable energy program
FPL’s renewable energy program, which had 39,000 customers, was closed after a panel learned most of the money went to marketing and administration. For almost five years, Florida Power & Light trumpeted green energy, saying customers could help the environment by contributing as little as $9.75 a month to buy renewable power. About 39,000 customers signed up. In April, the U.S. Department of Energy called the program, Sunshine Energy, one of the top 10 residential green power programs in the . . . Complete story »
PSC pulls plug on renewables program
Customers who enrolled in Florida Power & Light Co.’s Sunshine Energy Program to help develop renewable energy apparently were getting a lot less than what they bargained for, according to the Florida Public Service Commission. As a result, commissioners on Tuesday put an end to the program, which had been subcontracted out to am Austin, Texas company, Green Mountain Energy Company. An audit last year found that most of the $9.5 million collected from more than 38,000 customers, who paid . . . Complete story »
Surfriders launch online petition against FPL’s wind turbine plan
The Treasure Coast Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has launched an online petition opposing Florida Power and Light Co.’s plan to construct wind turbines on St. Lucie County beaches. The petition was created in response to an April 1 meeting between the Treasure Coast Surfrider executive board and FPL officials to discuss the location and engineering plans for the six industrial wind turbines FPL plans to build on Hutchinson Island. Surfrider began circulating the petition in early May. The online . . . Complete story »
St. Lucie County wants its own independent turbine study
FORT PIERCE – County officials are pushing forward to find an independent consultant to review Florida Power & Light Co.’s environmental impact study on wind turbines and expect to have a proposal in hand by the end of next week, said County Administrator Doug Anderson. The county has a contract with Taylor Engineering Inc. of Jacksonville. Anderson said Taylor Engineering would contract with consultants who can review FPL’s studies on its wind turbine project and can provide the county with its . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines offer little for St. Lucie
Even if we trusted Florida Power & Light, and we would be fools to, how do you think FPL’s industrial wind turbines could possibly be “exactly what the doctor ordered”? What exactly are they supposed to do for this county? Lower your FPL bill? No, wind power costs three times nuclear power. We see from the Sunshine Energy program you may not even get what we think we are paying for. FPL says, “Sunshine Energy provides 150 kw of PV . . . Complete story »
Local Surfrider Foundation protests FPL turbines with more than 1,000 signatures
The Treasure Coast chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has gathered more than 1,000 signatures against Florida Power & Light Co.’s wind turbine project on Hutchinson Island, the group announced late Wednesday. FPL wants to place six wind turbines on property it owns near the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant, including three at Walton Rocks beach, land that is owned by FPL and was formerly leased to the county. The county has asked FPL to continue the lease, a request the company . . . Complete story »
Web site launched by TC Surfrider
Treasure Coast Surfrider has created a Web site to better inform its members and the public of beach- and waterway-related issues. TC Surfrider, the Martin and St. Lucie County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Although TC Surfrider has its hands involved in numerous matters, by visiting www.tcsurfrider.org, its evident the group’s biggest fight is against Florida Power & Light’s proposed wind turbine . . . Complete story »
