No Name Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys in the United States.[1] It is 3 miles (4.8 km) from US 1 and sparsely populated, with only 43 homes. It is only about 1,140 acres (460 hectares) [2] in comparison to its larger neighbor, Big Pine Key, which lies about half a mile (800 m) to its west. It is accessible by a concrete bridge from Big Pine Key and was the terminus of a car ferry that existed before the present Overseas Highway was built on the remains of Flagler's Overseas Railroad.[3]
Electricity
No Name Key was known for not being connected to the commercial power grid, for a local county ordinance prohibited this. Residents mostly used a combination of solar energy and diesel or gas generators.[4]
This prohibition of commercial electricity sparked a lawsuit between Monroe County and the No Name Key property owners. In May 2013, the Florida Public Service Commission exercised its jurisdiction over public utilities and issued Order PSC-13-0207-PAA-EM declaring the residents had a right to commercial electrical power. A week later, the circuit court issued a writ of mandamus ordering the county to issue the permits necessary to connect the residential homes to the commercial electric grid.
On May 29, 2013, the decades-long battle over electricity ended as the residents began connecting to the commercial electric grid.[4]
Flora and fauna
Native fauna of No Name Key include the endangered Key deer.[3][5]
References
- ^ Viele, J. (1996). The Florida Keys: A History of the Pioneers. Florida's history through its places. Pineapple Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-56164-101-7. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ Wilkinson, Jerry (2013). "History of no Name Key". Keys Historeum. Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Tiny Fla. Island Debates Joining Electric Grid". NPR. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ a b Keith, J. (2014). June Keith's Key West & The Florida Keys: A Guide to the Coral Islands. Palm Island Press. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-9743524-9-7. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ Hunt, B. (2011). Visiting Small-Town Florida. Pineapple Press, Incorporated. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-56164-488-9. Retrieved September 7, 2017.