Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Who Said That?

"They've proven over the last 10 years that they have no clue."

-- Mark Cooper of the Institute for Energy and Environment at Vermont Law School

 The power plant is a decade old but in no way shows its age.

"It looks brand new, doesn't it?" said John Flumerfelt, an executive at Calpine Construction Finance Co., during a recent tour of the facility. "Shipshape."

His description is apt. Run by a 23-member crew that includes old Navy veterans, the plant shows like a well-tended ship. It is a highly efficient combined-cycle generator fueled by natural gas. Calpine built the "merchant plant" to sell power to public utilities.

These days, though, there's so little demand the plant sometimes sits idle. The Great Recession not only reduced demand for electricity, it also spurred investment in power-saving devices and strategies. Power usage around Florida has been flat for years.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times.