FAC News Clips - November 20, 2019 -

TCPalm

Florida consumes 8 times the energy it produces as global energy efficiency progress slows

Darkening clouds hovered over Hutchinson Island, spewing a fine mist onto the twin containment buildings below. The trees leading to Gate B billowed in the evening wind. Inside the towers, uranium atoms were splitting, ultimately generating electricity for about a million homes. The St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant is the larger of Florida Power and Light’s two nuclear facilities in terms of power output. Around the clock it produces low-carbon energy, which the International Energy Agency last week stressed is critical to closing global electricity gaps and combating climate change.

Palm Beach Post

Palm Beach consultant: Florida is moving toward autonomous vehicles

lorida is on the road to an era of driverless cars with its good weather, popularity as a tourist destination, and demographics. That’s the assessment of two advocates of the technology — one a Palm Beach consultant and the other a state senator from St. Petersburg who says Florida is already a leader in the push toward autonomous vehicles. “I think in the next five years there will be an autonomous vehicle service running here on the island,” said Grayson Brulte, president of Brulte & Co., which relocated from Beverly Hills, California to Palm Beach in May.

Miami Herald

Miami developer will address the country’s affordable housing crisis

Related Group’s Executive Vice President Jon Paul Pérez is taking on the country’s affordable housing crisis. Pérez is partnering with housing social-investment firm Federal Housing Solutions to create a new venture, Pérez Housing Associates, that will upgrade existing affordable housing stock nationwide using Section 42 tax credits. “This is the first time that we have launched a dedicated effort specifically targeting Section 42 properties,” Pérez said in a statement. “PHA was formed to respond to this critical sector and, ultimately, make a significant positive impact across the country.”

Tampa Bay Times

Pasco okays largest-ever environmental land buy for $22 million

Pasco County is making its largest-ever environmental land purchase, agreeing to spend $22 million for 843 acres within Lennar’s Project Arthur development in central Pasco. The land, south of State Road 52 and east of the Suncoast Parkway, is contained in two tracts. The property currently is owned by Len-Angeline, the company Lennar formed for the development, and the Bexley family, which is selling its massive ranch to the home-building giant. The property provides key additions to the county’s ecological corridors that provide wildlife habitat links to existing preserves including those at Connerton, the Starkey Wilderness Preserve and Cross Bar and Cypress Creek well fields.

North Escambia

County Administrator Explains Future Plans, Goals For Escambia County

Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley has revealed her plans for the county over the coming months, part of a 100-day review she promised when first hired. “The first 100 days, there were a lot of things I was looking at and there are many more continuing to unfold,” Gilly told the Escambia County Commission. She presented a list of visions and goals for county operations, including the restoration of public trust and confidence, improved customer service, improved economic development, fiscal accountability and maintaining infrastructure.

CW34

Palm Beach County voters get first look at new voting machines

The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections just unveiled new voting and tabulation machines. On Tuesday, Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link invited voters to try the new machines in an open house. Link says she’s hosting the event in order to increase transparency following Florida’s recount fiasco in 2018. “We want to give every voter the chance to be successful in their voting," she said. Voters got to see the new ballot design. Selections will be made with oval bubbles and clearly divided sections to cut down on confusion at the polls.