HOW ABOUT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN YOUR BACKYARD?

With gas prices going into the stratosphere, and increasing enviromental concerns about greenhouse gases from coal-based plants, electric utilities are looking for different sources. And one Florida utility is seriously considering locating a nuclear power plant in Central Florida.

Progress Energy is looking at rural locations in Polk, Highlands, Seminole, or Osceola counties, and it expects to make a decision on the design and location by the end of this year with operation by 2015. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based electric company already has one nuke plant in Florida, the Crystal River facility in Citrus County which opened in 1977. Florida Lighting & Power operates a nuclear plant near Fort Pierce with two reactors, as well as the Turkey Point facility on Biscayne Bay south of Miami.

Polk County would provide some problems for such a plant, according to the Lakeland Ledger:

Jeff Spence, Polk's director of natural resources, said a limiting factor in the location of a new nuclear plant or any power plant in Polk County is the availability of cooling water.

Polk's growth plan for years limited power plants to the phosphate mining areas of southwest Polk County, but county commissioners amended the plan in 2002 to allow plants to be located in other parts of the county.

Environmentalists challenged the amendment, and a 2003 settlement adds language to the growth plan to require power companies to prove up front that the new plants won't cause unacceptable impacts to water supplies. The amended plan also would prohibit approval of any power plants in the Green Swamp.

Water is an issue because most of Polk County is within an area known as the Southern Water-Use Caution Area. This is an area of the state in which past overpumping has led Southwest Florida Water Management District officials to propose rules to curtail, rather than expand, major withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer.

"Swiftmud is preparing a new regional water supply plan and any additional needs would have to be scrutinized," Spence said.

Having this type of plant up and running by 2015 is questionable, because the process of approving and licensing a nuclear power plant is quite lengthy.

And while on the subject, one candidate for mayor of Lakeland is saying that the city-owned electric utility should build a nuclear power plant to provide inexpensive, reliable electricity. Victor Emmanuel, a 73 year old computer refurbisher/builder who has only lived in the city for three years, says he could have such a facility built in three years using federal money.

Lakeland Electric's operation is a major issue in the municipal election to be held November 1. It has one of the highest average rates of electric utilities in Florida.