Should Consumers Pay Up Front To Build Nuclear Plants?
April 11, 2012
With legislative leaders rejecting possible changes, a fight is building in the Florida Supreme Court about a law that allows utilities to pass along hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to customers for nuclear-power projects.
Four lawmakers this week filed a brief in support of an effort by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to nix the law, which is controversial in part because customers are getting billed for projects that might never be built.
The Florida Public Service Commission recently refused to allow Gulf Power Company to recoup money for land it bought in North Escambia near McDavid for a possible future nuclear power plant. The PSC denied the request because the utility has not taken an initial step — known as getting a determination of need — for such a project.
Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida — the two utilities that are definitely planning nuclear projects — have hired former Supreme Court justices to represent them in fighting the case.
Reps. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, and Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, and Sens. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, filed the brief this week challenging the constitutionality of the 2006 nuclear-cost law.
Rehwinkel Vasilinda and Fasano have been outspoken critics of the law and filed bills this year to try to repeal it, but the bills were not heard in legislative committees. The brief argues that the law unconstitutionally gives too much power to the Florida Public Service Commission to decide whether to approve the nuclear costs.
“The … process has become little more than a pro forma session allowing the PSC to agree to the utilities’ requests for more funds,” the brief says. “The process amounts to issuing a blank check to (Progress and FPL) allowing them to remain in a perpetual state of preconstruction.”
Legislative leaders have stood behind the law, arguing that utilities need to be able to collect money to offset at least parts of the upfront costs of the multibillion-dollar projects.
During a Fasano-prompted discussion in February, Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Chairman Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said customers likely would wind up paying more if the utilities waited to recoup costs until after the plants start operating.
“If we believe in diversifying electricity in this state, there has to be options,” Gardiner said at the time.
Progress plans to build two nuclear reactors in Levy County, while FPL has moved forward with a similar project in Miami-Dade County. Neither site would start producing electricity for at least another decade and are not guaranteed to ever be built.
Each year, the utilities go before the PSC with proposals to recover costs from customers. The commission has approved allowing Progress to collect $86 million from customers this year and FPL to collect $196 million — though much of the FPL money will go toward upgrading current nuclear plants instead of the planned project.
By The News Service Florida
Pictured top: One of many house that now sit abandoned near McDavid where Gulf Power has purchased thousands of acres for a possible nuclear power plant. One of many Gulf Power “Posted” signs that line the roads in the area of the potential plant. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Escambia Men Indicted For Drug Related Murder
April 11, 2012
Two Escambia County men have been indicted with first degree murder for the drug related shooting death of Frederick Ortiz last month. An Escambia County grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday against Rico Roberson and Bryan Hines.
Ortiz was shot in the chest and killed during the course of a drug transaction on Hayworth Avenue in the Ensley area on March 20.
Judge Michael Allen accepted the indictments and ordered that both men remain in the Escambia County Jail without bond. Both Roberson and Hines will be arraigned on Thursday.
Brothers Charged In Burglaries After 3rd Brother Calls Cops
April 11, 2012
Two brothers were busted for stealing guns and breaking into vehicles after their other brother snitched to deputies.
Gerald Stewart called the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office to say that his two brothers were burglarizing vehicles in the area of North Spencerfield Road. Deputies found 23-year old Travis Lee Stewart and 19-year old Dylan Ray Stewart exiting a vehicle that had just been burglarized. The two brothers fled on foot; both were taken into custody a short time later.
Deputies said when they searched the suspects, they found a .45 caliber handgun, flashlights, money, sunglasses and other items taken from vehicles in the area. Investigators said the brothers tried to enter every vehicle on one street, finding just three that were unlocked.
Travis and Dylan Stewart were each charged with two felony counts of burglary, armed burglary, three counts possession of burglary tools, two counts grand theft of a firearm and two counts of petit theft.
After they arrived at the jail, the third brother called deputies back to say that he had located another firearm in Travis and Dylan’s bedroom. The .40 caliber handgun was reported stolen in 2011. Travis and Dylan Stewart admitted to deputies that they took the gun during a 2011 burglary.
Century Signs Off On $1.4 Million Loan To Repair Gas Leak
April 11, 2012
The Town of Century took a major step forward Tuesday toward eliminating a natural gas leak somewhere under Highway 29.
About 6,515 feet of 4-inch steel natural gas line was buried beneath the southbound lanes of Highway 29 when the road was widened. Now, 45 years since the almost 1.25 mile long pipe was put into the ground, the town believes the steel is corroding and leaking somewhere between West Highway 4 and McCurdy Street.
In a special meeting Tuesday, the town council approved a $1.401 million USDA Rural Development loan to cover the cost of replacing the pipe.
Dale Long, the town’s engineer, said the design phase of the project will take a few weeks and work could begin by summer on the project. A new 4-inch pipe will be placed on the west side of Highway 29, while a new 2-inch pipe will be installed on the east side of the highway, eliminating the need to install pipes under the road to service natural gas customers.
The $1.401 million loan will be repayable at $64,348 per year, based upon a 3.375 percent interest rate over 40 years. The loan will be repaid from the town’s gas department, which currently has sufficient revenues to meet the obligation. In the event that gas department’s revenues should be insufficient to repay the loan, the town will be required by the federal government to raise natural gas rates for residents and businesses.
The USDA will have first lien on all Century Gas Department revenues during the life of the loan. The town must maintain a reserve fund to meet the payment schedule and must agree to make payments by automatic debit from a bank account.
The council voted unanimously Tuesday to permit the mayor to sign the loan documents and establish separate bank accounts for the reserve and construction loan funds.
The leak has not gotten any worse in the year since it was publicly revealed, and routine checks are performed to monitor the situation, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
Pictured: Century Mayor Freddie McCall signs documents Tuesday morning for a $1.401 million USDA Rural Development loan to repair a leaky natural gas line under Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Pine Forest 12-2 (With Photo Gallery)
April 11, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat the Pine Forest Eagles Tuesday in Bratt, 12-2.
The Lady Chiefs will wrap up their regular season Thursday afternoon with a 3:30 game on the road at Escambia Academy in Canoe.
For a photo gallery from Tuesday’s game, click here.
Pictured top: Northview’s Lauren McCall attempts to tag out a Pine Forest runner at second base Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. Pictured below: A tipped ball heads into the helmet of a Pine Forest catcher. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Work Complete On $2 Million Upgrade At Ransom Middle
April 11, 2012
Work is now officially complete on the addition of 10 classrooms at Ransom Middle School.
Next week, the Escambia County School Board is expected to approve a final payment to contract R.D. Ward Construction Company. The total cost for the project was $2,006,804, funded by half cent sales tax monies.
Group Slams Senate Map In Court Filings
April 11, 2012
Opponents of the Legislature’s second draft of a new map for the state’s 40 Senate districts tore into the plan in legal briefs filed Tuesday, telling justices that the lines passed by the Legislature in last month’s extraordinary session are no better than the plan justices tossed days earlier.
The Florida Democratic Party, the state NAACP and a coalition of voting rights groups all filed separate briefs criticizing the Senate plan and calling for the Supreme Court to draw its own maps. If the new proposals are invalidated, the Constitution requires justices to approve a new map instead.
“In fact, it was the intent of the framers … that, when needed, the Court be the final guardian of the citizens’ rights to a fair redistricting plan, and one that complies with the constitutional standards,” the Democratic Party said in its brief. “In 2012, that time has come.”
In all, the groups challenged 17 of the 40 districts for bizarre shapes, watering down a minority ethnic or racial group’s share of the population or carving out special protections for incumbents.
If proven, any of those allegations could make the map unconstitutional under the anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts amendments approved by voters in a November 2010 referendum.
he NAACP, which did not vigorously contest the first Senate plan, said in its brief that the second draft would harm the ability of black voters to elect the candidates of their choice in a Duval County district and a part of Broward County.
While the Supreme Court praised a similar Duval County district in its 5-2 ruling striking down the first Senate plan, the NAACP said there wasn’t enough evidence to support the notion that either district would give black voters a chance to shape elections there.
“Without such evidence, approving these districts is simply gambling on the future ability of minority voters to participate in the political process,” the NAACP wrote.
Meanwhile, a coalition of voting rights groups that includes the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause of Florida and Hispanic advocacy group National Council of La Raza said the plan went out of its way to make sure that every incumbent who didn’t face term limits would have a seat to run for without moving.
“This Court gave the Legislature a second chance to comply with the will of the voters and the Legislature again failed,” the groups’ brief says. “Unable to help itself, the Legislature persisted in its pursuit of partisan gain and incumbent self-interest.”
The coalition urged the Supreme Court to consider an alternative draft of the map, released by the groups last week, as the model for a future plan.
Democrats submitted a plan Tuesday that would give Republicans a more narrow advantage in the Senate and perhaps put the minority party within striking distance of taking the chamber.
Under the Democrats’ plan, Republican Gov. Rick Scott would have won 23 districts in 2010; former CFO Alex Sink would have won 17.
But Scott would have won four of those districts by less than five points, while Sink would have won three districts by a relatively narrow margin. If Democrats were to sweep the competitive seats, they could narrowly eke out a majority.
The court ruled late Tuesday that the Florida Senate could file a brief of up to 100 pages after lawyers for the chamber said the 50-page limit imposed by the court wasn’t enough for them to make their case.
By The News Service of Florida
Baseball: Jay Downs Northview (With Photo Gallery)
April 11, 2012
The Jay Royals defeated the Northview Chiefs 9-1 Tuesday in Jay.
Northview hitters included Zach Barrow 1-3 and Kevin Vaughan 2-3. Jay hitters included: Tyler Prescott 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Sammy James 1-2, 2B; Todd Laney 2-4; Conner Weekes 3-4, 2B, RBI; Hunter Vaughn 1-3; Logan Brown 2-4, RBI; Chandler Burgess 1-4.
The Royals will take on Bonifay at 7:00 Thursday, while the Chiefs will be on the road at Baker. The JV Chiefs play at 4:00 followed by the varsity at 6:30.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs took on Jay Tuesday in high school baseball. NorthEscambia.com photos by Taylor Rigby, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Navarre
April 11, 2012
The Tate Aggies swept Navarre Tuesday night with a 11-0 varsity win, a 9-3 junior varsity win and a 7-6 freshmen win on the road.
The varsity Aggies improved to 18-2 overall, 11-1 in the district — clinching the first seed in the district tournament.
Riley Hodge pitched a complete game shutout for Tate, giving up only two hits while striking out four.
JT Granat was 2-3 for Tate with a double and three RBIs, while David Moorhead was 3-3 with three RBIs. Austin Quina was 3-3 with two RBIs. Also for the Aggies, Mac Seibert was 1-4 with a double, and Cody Palmer was 2-3 with one RBI.
The Aggies will host Pensacola High School in district matchup Thursday at 7 p.m.
Blue Wahoos Lose To Mobile
April 11, 2012
The Mobile BayBears snapped the Blue Wahoos three-game win streak with a 3-2 win behind a strong effort on the mound by Trevor Bauer at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile on Tuesday night.
The BayBears broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning by plating three runs on four hits. A pair of Blue Wahoos errors aided the effort for Mobile and kept the inning alive. Of the three runs, only one earned run was charged to Blue Wahoos starter Pedro Villarreal.
The Wahoos were held at bay until plating a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. Cody Puckett singled home Henry Rodriguez for the first Blue Wahoos run. After a walk to Ryan LaMarre, P.J. Phillips singled home Mike Costanzo to pull the Wahoos within one, but the Wahoos ran into the second out of the inning on the bases after that hit. The two runs would be all they’d get.
Villarreal (0-1, 6 IP, 4 H, 3R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) was saddled with the loss after working six innings and allowing four hits. He struck out five and didn’t issue a walk. Bauer (2-0, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K) was solid in the winning effort for the BayBears as he struck out a season-high 11 batters. Evan Marshall (S, 2) earned the save by recording the final four outs for the BayBears.
The series continues from Mobile on Wednesday. The Blue Wahoos will send right-hander Curtis Partch (0-1, 15.00 ERA) against BayBears righty Charles Brewer (0-0, 1.50 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 from Hank Aaron Stadium.
By Tommy Thrall
Pictured: Pedro Villarreal on the mound for the Pensacola Blue Tuesday in Mobile . Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.