If there is any doubt about the future that NextEra will bring to Hawaii if it is allowed to take over Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., one needs only to look at its history of anti-environmental, anti-renewable energy actions, as well as its very own published reports.
Just as NextEra has claimed to support Hawaii’s commitment to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, NextEra has also boasted of its commitment to solar energy in Florida.
Yet, it has opposed rooftop photovoltaic energy production in its home base of Florida as well as in California, where it has invested in utility-scale solar energy production, not individual homeowner rooftop energy generation.
It may support solar, but only if it reaps the profits and tax credits.
NextEra’s own published 2014 production portfolio reports 19,758 megawatts of total energy production, but only 1,105 megawatts in solar, primarily in utility-scale photovoltaic production, not rooftop panels.
It generates 53 percent of its power from natural gas, 26 percent from nuclear power, 3 percent from coal and only 1 percent from solar.
To be fair, it does rely on wind power to generate 17 percent of its power — the only activity that supports renewable energy.
Another disturbing fact of NextEra’s real intentions is that its subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Co., has invested $191 million in a joint venture with PetroQuest Energy of Oklahoma to conduct exploration for gas and fracking production.
Now, FPL wants to charge the cost of this clearly anti-renewable energy project to its ratepayers.
If Florida regulators approve FPL’s request, FPL can increase the size of its rate base by $750 million a year and at the same time increase its profits.
Given the fact that the Florida regulators are part of climate-change denier Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, it is likely to be approved. Imagine our future when — not if — NextEra proposes to charge its out-of-state, anti-environmental activities on Hawaii’s ratepayers, if it takes over HECO.
If Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission allows NextEra to acquire HECO, it will no doubt be a pushover to approve rate increases, just like Florida’s rubberstamp regulators.
Equally disturbing is NextEra’s support for anti-consumer and anti-environmental groups like ALEC and Consumers for Smart Solar.
We all know about the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has been losing large corporate members due to its deceptive anti-consumer, discriminatory and destructive media campaigns.
Consumers for Smart Solar is similarly deceptive, even in its name, because it actually is about limiting and opposing consumer access to solar.
This group is funded by the infamous climate- change deniers, the Koch brothers, and electrical utilities to protect the fossil fuel industry monopoly in Florida.
NextEra, through FPL and other mega utilities, has provided $1.9 million to Consumers for Smart Energy since July, while it professes to support rooftop solar in Hawaii.
If NextEra continues to be anti-rooftop solar production, invests in fracking and support anti-renewable energy efforts and are partners with climate change deniers, how much credibility can we give its lofty claims of support of Hawaii’s commitment to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045?