SWA’s expansion request OK’d
State regulators on Tuesday unanimously approved Florida Power & Light and Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s proposed 93-megawatt expansion of a waste-to-energy plant in West Palm Beach.
The groups proposed having SWA, a Palm Beach County government entity that collects and processes garbage, sell the bulk of the power from the expansion to FPL for 17 years and having FPL customers pay the $56 million cost of building the electrical part of the plant in increments over the life of the contract.
The commission addressed concerns raised about uncertainties in costs to customers by requiring the groups extend the agreement by 26 months and charge customers all in one year – moves that could save customers about $10 million. Spreading the costs out over 17 years would have allowed FPL to earn an additional profit of nearly $28 million, according to PSC employees.
FPL would buy 575,000 megawatt-hours of power, enough to power about 40,000 homes. That will increase the amount of renewable energy FPL produces and buys by about 38 percent, bumping up the portion of its power that comes from renewable energy to about 1.6 percent, according to the PSC.
Commissioner Eduardo Balbis, former assistant city administrator for the City of West Palm Beach, said he likes that the project is projected to create 400 new temporary jobs and 70 full-time jobs and eliminate the potential need more landfill space for SWA, which would have required higher garbage fees for many Palm Beach County residents.
Balbis also took the lead in backing some changes recommended by PSC employees. Commissioners Lisa Edgar and Julie Brown said they agreed with the changes to ensure savings to customers.
Loans for most of the proposed expansion, which will cost about $750 million, will be paid off through a fixed tax tacked on to each property, according to SWA, a Palm Beach County government entity that collects and processes garbage. The money FPL pays to buy power over the years will be used to offset the plant’s operating costs.
The plant still requires approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Cabinet.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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