Groups are lining up to oppose the sale of Wisconsin's Point Beach nuclear power plant . Art Stall, a senior vice-president with Florida-based FPL Energy , says there are advantages to the trend, of larger firms buying nuclear plants from smaller firms. "You're able to aggregate more technical talent, and leverage that talent and expertise across a fleet (of power plants), so that all the members of that particular fleet can benefit," Stall told WOMT.
Charlie Higley with the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin doesn't disagree with that, but still opposes the sale. "It's hard to deny that there have been operational improvements from the plants that have been acquired that way," said Higley. "But our concern is that the cost to consumers may go up because of this sale."
Higley says they had the same concern about the sale several years ago of the Kewaunee plant, because a new, less regulated power market in the Midwest allows for greater utility profits. CUB and Clean Wisconsin both oppose the sale. CUB's Higley says FPL and the current owner of Point Beach, Milwaukee-based WE Energies , would like to see the sale approved next year by the state Public Service Commission .