When you live off the grid, it becomes part of your persona. It is part of your identity; one way you might describe yourself to strangers. Off-gridders take personal pride in their ability to make their own power, be energy efficient, and live without the gadgets many Americans take for granted as part of life.
When you buy land off the grid, you know what you are buying. Sure some people may look into how far away the grid is and decide to take power to their property, but most off-gridders know what they are getting into and accept it. In fact, for many, it makes the property more appealing. If you plan to live off the grid, you seek out that perfect property to meet those needs whether solar, wind, or hydro.
I’ve lived off the grid for 18 years making power with a micro hydro turbine for most of those years. Given the uniqueness of living off the grid, I can’t imagine how it would feel to have grid power forced upon me, as many residents of No Name Key (NNK), Florida are facing.
NNK is a 998 acres island, most of which is part of the National Key Deer Refuge to protect endangered Florida Key deer. There are only 43 residents on the island, all of which are off the grid and not connected to a central sewer system. The community is divided, as mostly new part time residents are pushing for the utilities to come to the island.
I first learned about the grid struggle on NNK from Nick Rosen’s book Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America. Although I find this book focused on judgmental descriptions of off-gridders with a rare mention of how they actually create power, I was interested in the story of NNK and contacted a friend of mine in the Keys for more information.
According to Rosen, the movement to bring power to NNK is led by wealthy Bob Reynolds, who paid $1.3 million for his home, the largest amount ever paid on the island. Since the recession has hit, Bob’s property values have dropped, so he wants grid power to restore his home’s value, Rosen contends.
At the heart of the grid power struggle on NNK is a central wastewater sewer system. NNK residents use septic systems and composting toilets. In 1985 the EPA found, “No Name Key as the 4th worst polluted waterbody in the Florida Keys based on Nitrogen, Nitrates and Phosphates.” Out-dated septic systems have been blamed, and to create a central wastewater treatment system, grid power and water is needed, so the argument goes.
There are alternatives, including upgrading septics, but many pro-grid advocates think it is in the best interest of the island to connect. Big Pine Key’s Coconut Telegraph reports:
If you remove the emotional, regulatory, and engineering dilemmas, and simply ask “What is best for the island?”, the only logical choice is to connect No Name to electricity, water, and sewer. These issues have been diluted beyond comprehension. Protecting the island should be the highest priority, but it quickly gets pushed down the list.
In the name of protecting the island, other residents are fighting grid power and centralized water to protect the endangered key deer. In fact, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) has proposed eliminating regulations originally put in place to protect the deer:
Eliminate Chapter 48-206 WATER CONNECTION IN WILDLIFE REFUGES. Proposed revision eliminates the policy of the Authority not to provide water connections or hookups in National Wildlife Refuge areas or hardwood hammock areas within its jurisdiction and subjects these areas to the same rules and regulations as other areas served by the Authority.
It will be in interesting to see how the struggle unfolds on No Name Key. As an off-gridder, I have empathy for residents fighting to maintain their way of life. Resident Alicia Roemmele-Putney explains, “Why change a place that is unique and special?’ It’s so neat to get your power from the sun and your water from the rain. That’s why we moved here.” I can’t help but agree.
More from GLI:
Jennifer complains that my book is “judgmental…with a rare mention of how they actually create power”
Please bear in mind – the book is not a how-to. It is the story of my journey around America, meeting people who live off the grid and asking them why they do it – it is more a why-to than a how-to.
For hundreds of articles on how to go off the grid, please see my web site, http://www.off-grid.net, or my first book, How to Live Off Grid
CHOICE IS THE ONLY SOLUTION
I’m afraid you’ve been decieved by the old lies/liars.
The few No Name Key residents (comprised of mostly “winter only residents”) who want to remain off the grid can and will, as they are not being “forced” to pay for or connect to the grid.
The super-majority of No Name Key residents (who now number over 70% of the homeowners) who would like to rid their homes, lives and the island of the loud, smelly, polluting generators (of which 95% of ALL homes have and use) and hundreds and hundreds of lead-acid-batteries (which run each and every home on NNK), and who would like to participate in the Only Sustainable Modern Green Solution, grid-tie, will pay be the ones paying for this “modern utility” and will be be able to connect to the grid.
Frankly, the 70% majority group is tired of being “forced” to do without simply because their neighbor doesn’t want it.
NNK was never intended as a “solar community”. Utilities were promised (in writing) and were on their way back in the lat 1980′s; the island was “highjacked” by a newcomer (who you mention in your article) who’s sole intention was to stop the Galleon Bay development (12 luxury homes slated to be built directly next door to her then empty lot). Stopping utilities stopped that development, and has cost the County taxpayers approx $10 Million in an illegal “takings” case.
The equitable and simple solution to the tiresome No Name Key issue is every person gets to choose their own way of living in their own home, and the “forcing” ceases.
Any other person in the Keys, or the country, who would like the “off-grid” experience can have it: stop paying your electric bill and you too will be “off-grid”.
But “force” is not the solution for any community.
CHOICE is the only solution.
Nobody is going to be “forced” to hook up to the power. To the contrary, Ms. Putney wants to force her neighbors to remain off the grid, resulting in untold waste of green solar energy.
I live on No Name Key, and for six months out of the year, I spend more than 600 per month to run a generator so I can keep my house at 80 degrees. Ms. Putney, on the other hand, retreats to her other home, which is on the grid.
In the winter, my solar panels fill up my lead acid batteries by 11AM, and because Ms. Putney has obstructed the provision of grid power, all the rest goes to waste.
There is a struggle on No Name Key all right. It’s a struggle for a sane approach to green living. There is a reason that No Name Key is “unique.” It is uniquely stupid and wasteful. Grid intertie will allow an appropriate use of the solar power we generate, a huge reduction in the carbon footprint of the island, and a cleaner, quieter life for the 75% of residents who want (and are willing to pay) to bring the grid to our island. No taxpayer dollars will be involved, and nobody will be forced to hook up to the grid if they want to stay independent and stupid.
I am all for solar power. I install solar, including off-grid PV systems for a living. However, it shouldn’t be done at the expense of polluting the keys with sewage. I am on the side of bringing in utility power. Let the off-gridders stay off grid if they want but make sure their septics systems are adequate.
We are looking for people, preferably a couple for a small community of 4-6 people (preferd)( no children or older…) who are looking to retire and live a quiet life on a farm. We are a young couple who are looking to buy some land and live off of it. We are looking in Southwest Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and similar areas which have comfortable climates year round.
We are looking for a riverfront property with 100 acres + and are looking for likeminded individuals who fit and able to help. If you are interested in becoming a part of the community and live a very quiet, high quality life, please respond. You must be easy going and open minded and non-violent. We just want to live a nice quiet life on an organic farm in nature. So if you love nature, scenery and are interested in being a part of this community with your help, please respond to this ad.
sagi@saginyc.com
There seems to be another solution here which no one seems to have complicated. That would be more renewables, not less. Since the cost of the grid tie-in is at least $600,000 it would seem a much better exercise to spend the money on enhanced solar systems, greater efficiency, perhaps even wind turbines. Factor in that there’s a monthly bill to pay to the grid (so it’s cost is more than just the installation) where there’s no monthly bill fuel bill for renewables and a little creativity seems like a good idea.
It would maintain the energy independence of the island, making it safer in case power was cut by hurricanes.
There are a number of islands in Scandinavia (Norway and Denmark) which are using 100% renewables. One Norwegian island uses wind turbines which power hydrogen production which is then used to power fuel cells when the wind is down or more power is needed.