Taylor Energy Center to Suspend Plant Permitting and Participate in State Dialogue on Florida's Energy Future
July 3, 2007
PERRY, Fla., July 3, 2007 - The Taylor Energy Center announced plans to suspend permitting activities while participating in a recently announced state dialogue on Florida's energy future.
The suspension will allow the utilities time to assess how best to meet their customers' electricity needs in ways consistent with growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. A final decision must be confirmed by the governing boards for the four municipal electric utilities that are working together on this project.
Project Manager Mike Lawson said, "Our mission is to provide reliable power at an affordable price in an environmentally responsible manner. We believe the state-of-the-art technology we proposed would satisfy those objectives; however, growing concerns about climate change have raised questions that must be addressed thoughtfully. Rather than push forward, it's more important that we work with state leaders to craft an energy plan for Florida.
"I must thank the people of Taylor County for their tremendous support. Since we announced the project two years ago, our contact with the community showed us that this project enjoyed outstanding local support. Without a doubt, most people in Taylor County believe our project would be good for the community. We will be forever grateful to the leadership in Taylor County and the many supporters we've come to know over the years. We hope to continue working with them in the future.
"We look forward to the Florida Climate Change Summit this month hosted by Gov. Charlie Crist. We are eager to further discuss workable solutions to meet the energy demands of Florida's citizens."
The Taylor Energy Center is a state-of-the-art, 800-megawatt power plant proposed to be located in Taylor County, Fla., near the city of Perry. The plant is a joint development of four community-owned electric utilities: Florida Municipal Power Agency, JEA, the City of Tallahassee, Fla., and Reedy Creek Improvement District. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.taylorenergycenter.org.
Contact
Mark McCain, Taylor Energy Center spokesperson, 407-355-7767
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