No Name Key (NNK) is a sparsely populated 998 acre island in the Florida Keys. Part of the reason few live in NNK is that it is totally off the grid, that is, no electricity. The 43 or so residents of the island knew what they were getting into when they moved there. They use generators or solar, wind, or hydro power for electricity and have no central sewer system. But now, some residents want utilities on the island and that is dividing the small community.
Nick Rosen wrote about the community in his book, “Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America.” As far as I can tell, choosing to live off the grid is more of a mindset than a necessity. It gives people a feeling of more independence from government and a feeling of being more self sufficient.
In his book, Rosen states that the movement to bring utilities to the island started with Bob Reynolds. Reynolds bought a home on the island for $1.3 million dollars, but apparently the value of the home dropped with the recession. Rosen theorizes that Reynolds wanted to restore the value of his home by adding power to the island.
In addition, NNK residents use out-dated septic tanks and composting toilets. The EPA found in 1985 that they had the “4th worst polluted waterbody” in the Keys because large amounts of nitrogen, nitrates, and phosphates were found. Some are arguing that they need grid power and water to have a central wastewater treatment system.
And then there are those that worry about the affect electricity and utilities would have on the wildlife. Last Saturday, Keys Energy Service said that an electrical conduit could be run through the No Name Bridge that connects NNK to Big Pine Key. The permission to do that would have to come from the county. Roman Gatesi, the Monroe County administrator, said, “There are a lot of moving parts to this. We’re going to try to figure out what it means not only on the legal side, but the operational side.”