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Thirteen Alternate Corridors FiledThis update is about a significant development related to Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) Bobwhite-Manatee transmission line project. Three parties have submitted a total of thirteen (13) alternate corridors to the one that FPL submitted in January 2007 for licensing under the Transmission Line Siting Act (TLSA), Sections 403.52-405.5365, Florida Statutes. These alternates were all filed by the April 16, 2007, deadline established in the project TLSA schedule. The information about these submittals is being posted to keep interested members of the public informed about this project. One (1) alternate corridor was submitted by John Falkner, ten (10) alternates were submitted by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc. and Lake Club Investors, LLC (SMR), and two (2) alternates were submitted by Taylor & Fulton, Inc. An overview map that generally shows the FPL preferred corridor and the thirteen (13) alternate corridors can be access by clicking here. More detailed color aerials for each intervener’s corridors and descriptions of their corridors are found by clicking on the following links.
A provision in the TLSA process allows other parties to propose alternate corridors for all or a portion of the transmission line route. If an alternate corridor is considered a “buildable” route by FPL, and if the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) establishes that it would connect adequately with the rest of the preferred corridor, then the alternate corridor will be allowed into the licensing process for consideration. DEP has found that the alternate corridors connect adequately with the rest of FPL’s preferred corridor and FPL has determined that the alternate corridors are “buildable”. FPL does not at this time support these alternate corridors over its preferred corridor and plans to offer testimony and evidence in support of its preferred corridor in the certification hearing. Nevertheless, these filings do open the possibility for one of these alternate corridors to be certified rather than FPL’s preferred corridor. Until certification is final, the location of the Bobwhite-Manatee transmission line corridor is not definite. Next steps in the TLSA process include the agencies reviewing the information submitted on each of the alternate corridors. They may recommend one of the fourteen corridors (either FPL’s preferred corridor or one of the thirteen alternate corridors) over the others, as well as propose environmental and other conditions be included in the certification of the transmission line. Review of the alternate corridors includes opportunities for local government or regional planning council public meetings on the project, and will require a formal hearing presided over by an administrative law judge, probably in the fall of 2007. The judge will hear from the public, as well as testimony and evidence offered by all parties, on which corridor should be certified. Considering a balance of land use, environmental, engineering, cost and other factors, the judge will issue a recommended order on the certification, including the identification of the corridor recommended for certification. That recommended order will be submitted to the Governor and Cabinet, who will make the final decision about granting certification for the Bobwhite-Manatee line and about which corridor should receive certification. There will be a new schedule for the TLSA process, including the certification hearing, now that the alternate corridors have been submitted. FPL recommends that you visit the web sites of DEP, the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), and FPL regularly to find current dates for upcoming deadlines and meetings. The addresses for those web sites are as follows: Department of Environmental Regulation: Department of Administrative Hearings: FPL: www.FPL.com/Bobwhite If you would like to contact some of the regulators who will be providing reports on these new alternates, please refer to the following:
You may also contact FPL regarding this project at Bobwhite-Manateeproject@FPL.com or call us toll free at 1-800-951-8849. Copies of the FPL application and the alternate submittals (once available) are accessible for review at and the local FPL offices as noted below: FPL Office in Sarasota FPL Office in Bradenton |
