Anti-nuke activists in Iowa and Missouri thank Florida ratepayers for raising concerns about nuclear advance cost recovery listen

Tags: Mike Fasano, Progress Energy Florida, Progress Energy, nuclear energy, Levy County nuclear plant, nuclear power, advance cost recovery

Sign criticizing Progress Energy Florida's nuclear advance cost recovery during a protest in St. Petersburg.

photo by Janelle Irwin/WMNF News (Dec. 2011)

Many Floridians aren’t happy they’re paying now for new nuclear plants that may never be built. But what people in the Sunshine State may not know is that frustration with what’s going on here is helping other states avoid a similar fate.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday organized by Physicians for Social Responsibility the senior policy advocate for the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Iowa credits the rebellion by Florida ratepayers for raising awareness around the country. Steven Falck says what has happened in Florida is a factor in a recent defeat of advance cost recovery for nuclear plants in Iowa.

In contrast to Iowa, the Florida Legislature approved nuclear advance cost recovery in 2006. Since then, the two largest private utilities in the state have been collecting money from current rate payers to pay for proposed nuclear reactors that are scheduled to be built next decade. But many critics suggest because of rising costs, the plants will never be built. Edward Smith is the safe energy director with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. He says many ratepayers in his state don’t want to make the same mistakes as Florida.

Florida state Senator Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey) voted for the advance cost recovery measure in 2006, but has since said he made a mistake. He congratulated the people of Missouri and Iowa for not following Florida’s lead.

Fasano says Progress Energy Florida has cancelled its deal with the contractor that was going to build the Levy County reactors. He predicts the plant will never be built because the region won’t need that electricity.

Here's our previous coverage of nuclear power