On June 30, 2009, FPL filed a Site Certification Application with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for new transmission lines that will improve the overall reliability of the electrical infrastructure that delivers electricity to Miami-Dade County. The four new transmission lines were submitted as part of the Site Certification Application for the proposed Turkey Point Units 6 & 7 project that, if approved, will authorize two new nuclear units at Turkey Point and further our effort to continue to provide clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers.
Project outreach
FPL began an extensive community outreach process in the summer of 2008 to gather preferences and data, and after several months invited the public to comment on proposed potential routes to expand its transmission system for customers in Miami-Dade County. As part of FPL’s community outreach process, nine open houses were held in the Miami-Dade area in November 2008 where customers were able to review maps, use interactive displays and provide feedback directly to the project team.
FPL also provided several other ways for the community to provide feedback, including an e-survey that asked customers to rank, in order of importance, the top four factors FPL should consider when selecting where to place additional transmission lines. FPL also provided a toll-free number (1-800-693-3267) and project email ([email protected]) so customers could ask questions and express ideas. Considering a balance of customers’ input along with environmental, land use, engineering and cost factors, FPL was able to select routes that meet the infrastructure needs of the community while minimizing the impact on local areas.
Throughout the outreach process, our customers indicated that their preference for the routes would be for FPL to minimize the proximity to residential neighborhoods and school properties and take advantage of opportunities to place these lines where other similar linear infrastructure already existed, such as electrical lines, railroads and major roads. Customers also preferred the lines to be placed in more commercial versus residential areas when possible and to utilize existing FPL rights-of-way. These preferences are reflected in the selected preferred corridors.
Corridors selection
In support of the proposed additional nuclear units at Turkey Point, as well as FPL's ongoing effort to improve reliability for our customers, we have proposed two transmission line corridors in Miami-Dade County. One transmission line corridor is in the west part of Miami-Dade County and will contain three new transmission lines. The other is in the east part of the county and will contain one new transmission line. To determine the transmission line corridors that would most appropriately support our customers' future need for affordable, reliable electricity, FPL conducted an intensive one-year study that considered:
- Opportunities, such as existing rights-of-way, and constraints, such as airports
- Government and community input
- A balance of land use, engineering, environmental and cost issues
Based on this study, in 2009, FPL filed an application with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) under the Florida Electrical Power Plant Siting Act (PPSA). Through this well established, comprehensive process, the FDEP, other regulatory agencies within the state, local governments and the public will have the opportunity to review our proposed corridors as well as any alternate transmission line corridors offered by other interested parties, such as local governments, groups or individuals.
We invite you to learn more about FPL's preferred corridors as well as the process for public involvement:
- You can view a detailed map that shows FPL's preferred corridors or an interactive map that allows you to type in your address and see where the preferred corridors are located.
- You can get answers to frequently asked questions about transmission lines below or specifically concerning alternate corridors by reading Transmission Line Alternate Corridor Facts.
Links with further information
The websites for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Administrative Hearings also have information available, such as current dates for public meetings, upcoming deadlines and copies of the application.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection – See "Power Plant Applications in Process" and "FPL Turkey Point Nuclear Units 6 & 7."
Division of Administrative Hearings – Insert in the case number for the project, 093575, in the Quick Search box to get to the certification proceeding’s site.
You can view the letters and map FPL sent in November 2008 to all residents in the east (Español) and west (Español) who live within one-half mile of a potential route in Miami-Dade County and the letter (Español) and map sent on March 30, 2009 informing them that the preferred routes had been selected.
You can view the letter and map FPL sent in July 2009 informing residents of the application filing. There are several locations in Miami-Dade County where the application is available for review, including public libraries and an FPL business location. View the full list. You can also download the application from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website.
You can find out about our selection process to learn how FPL goes about choosing a proposed route and what evaluation criteria (quantitative and qualitative) are considered.
You can download an overview of the Power Plant Siting Act, or get a full description on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Providing clean, safe and reliable energy solutions now and in the future is a top priority at FPL. These transmission lines will help achieve this goal by improving the overall reliability of the electrical infrastructure that delivers electricity to the county and also accommodating future service requirements, including utilization of clean-energy technologies.
One route will go through the west part of the county (west of Krome Avenue) traveling north and ending near the city of Doral. The other route travels east on an existing transmission line right-of-way and over to US 1 at SW 136th Street, and then generally uses the existing busway and Metrorail corridors along U.S. 1 into downtown Miami. Click here to see a detailed map that shows FPL's preferred corridors.
The proposed 230-kilovolt transmission line in the east is to be constructed typically using 80- to 105-foot tall, single-circuit poles (without guy wires) directly embedded into the ground. The proposed 230-kV transmission line in the west is to be constructed typically using 80- to 105-foot tall, single-circuit concrete poles (with guy wires) directly embedded into the ground.
The two proposed 500-kV transmission lines proposed in the west are to be constructed typically using 135- to 150-foot tall, single-circuit concrete poles (with guy wires) directly embedded into the ground.
FPL’s preferred corridors and all accepted alternate corridors are subject to a rigorous review by FDEP, other state and regional agencies, as well as any local government through whose jurisdiction the alternate corridor passes. After review, all corridors that remain in the process will be addressed at a certification hearing. During this hearing, FPL, the public, and participating regulatory agencies and local governments will have the opportunity to offer testimony and evidence in support of their preferred approach. Considering a balance of land use, environmental, engineering, cost and other factors, the judge will issue a recommended order, identifying the corridors recommended for certification. The recommended corridors go to the governor and Cabinet, who make the final decision on which corridors will ultimately be used.
Questions?
If you have questions, you can contact FPL:
- Email any questions or thoughts to [email protected]. Call us toll-free at 1-800-693-3267.
FPL looks forward to continuing our constructive and collaborative relationship with our neighbors as we move forward and continue to provide safe, affordable and reliable electric service.