Coal for Christmas: Native Advocacy Teams Ship Coal, Protest Letters to JEA

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Jacksonville Residents Rallied In opposition to JEA’s Continued Use of Coal and Excessive Price Hikes

Jacksonville, Florida — Right this moment, native advocacy and local weather teams delivered pricey, polluting coal again to Jacksonville Electrical Authority (JEA) Headquarters simply in time for the vacations. Sierra Membership Florida, CLEO Institute, NAACP, St. John’s Riverkeepers, and different teams dropped off coal, a coalition letter, and vacation playing cards in protest of the utility’s continued operations of the Northside Producing Station coal plant and more and more unaffordable price hikes.

Earlier this yr, JEA’s 541,000 prospects confronted a 3.7 p.c improve of their total utility invoice. One other 5 p.c invoice improve is already scheduled to take impact later in 2026. Members within the coal supply despatched a transparent message: Jacksonville deserves cleaner air, decrease payments, and an actual dedication to renewable power — no more coal.

Selecting to retire the coal models on the Northside Producing Station would save JEA prospects at the very least $15 million yearly, presumably $60 million per yr or extra if fossil gasoline costs stay excessive. The change may even enhance public well being by drastically reducing health-harming emissions and stopping 112 bronchial asthma assaults yearly. In 2026, JEA is scheduled to launch an up to date Built-in Useful resource Plan (IRP.) This plan will decide the perfect mixture of power sources for the utility’s prospects.

Along with dropping off coal and vacation playing cards, native advocacy teams additionally delivered a coalition letter signed by eight organizations in help of retiring the Northside coal models and pursuing renewable power within the 2026 IRP.

“For many years, JEA has owned and operated the Northside Producing Station, a pricey coal plant that has worsened air high quality and elevated power payments proper right here in Jacksonville,” stated Suzanne Sapp, Sierra Membership Senior Marketing campaign Organizer. “As native households endure a major housing disaster, added invoice prices and missed work days as a result of preventable well being challenges are compounding monetary stress and leading to devastating trade-offs between meals, medication, and lights that activate. Excessive prices that increase our payments and air that makes us sick. That’s the consequence of JEA’s coal. It’s nothing anybody would ask for this season or ever.”

“We’re in an power affordability disaster and JEA’s choice to construct an costly, polluting fuel plant will solely worsen this,” stated Leah Farrell, Photo voltaic Entry and Affordability Affiliate ATL SE. “Luckily, we all know that photo voltaic is the clearest different. Whether or not utility scale or rooftop, photo voltaic saves each ratepayers and the town cash by offering us all protected, inexpensive, and clear power. Paired with a full and truthful reinstatement of internet metering, use of the accessible federal photo voltaic tax credit score, and a sorely wanted dedication to transparency by JEA, the methods through which our beloved metropolis of Jacksonville will profit from this important reconsideration are innumerable.”

“We’ve got a constructive and valued relationship with JEA and have labored with JEA employees to assist residents use power and water extra effectively to economize,” stated Kelly Frazier, President of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville. “That stated, we’re very involved in regards to the well being impacts of JEA’s continued use of fossil fuels on Northside residents in addition to the affect on costs residents need to pay for electrical energy. Now’s the time for JEA to prioritize a transition to a cheap and cleaner renewable power supply.”

“An ethical society sees its future by its youngsters’s wellbeing,” stated the Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer, Govt Director, Florida Council of Church buildings. “In spite of everything, they inherit what we do. The long run power of Jacksonville needs to be non-toxic, Earth-friendly, and inexpensive. We’ve got the facility to get away from the poisonous fuels of right now’s power in order that we don’t burden our youngsters and grandchildren with pointless debt and illness. We must always do it with no second thought. JEA ought to transition to solar energy with all deliberate velocity. Let’s use Florida sunshine slightly than pay for Louisiana fuel.”

Concerning the Sierra Membership

The Sierra Membership is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental group, with hundreds of thousands of members and supporters. Along with defending each individual’s proper to get outdoor and entry the therapeutic energy of nature, the Sierra Membership works to advertise clear power, safeguard the well being of our communities, defend wildlife, and protect our remaining wild locations by grassroots activism, public schooling, lobbying, and authorized motion. For extra info, go to www.sierraclub.org.