BREAKING: Orlando Sets Date for Ending Use of Coal

ORLANDO -- The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) announced today that they would stop burning coal for power by 2027 and would get 92% of their energy from renewable sources by 2050. 

The move away from coal by OUC is significant progress toward fulfilling the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050 set by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando City Council, thanks in large part to the leadership of the First 50 Coalition. Key to making good on this commitment will be whether OUC plans to burn fracked gas, another fossil fuel, in place of the coal and for how long. Mayor Dyer and the City Council have acknowledged the need to take bold action to help solve the growing climate crisis by moving away from all fossil fuels, not just coal. Methane, the primary ingredient in fracked gas, is a greenhouse gas 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere. 

In response, Raquel Fernandez Makarov, Organizing Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign released the following statement:

"This is a momentous day for Orlando. A little over three years ago, Mayor Dyer and the Orlando City Council unanimously set the course for a 100% renewable energy Orlando and an end to the burning of dirty coal. We look forward to the next steps -- working with OUC to eliminate the use of all fossil fuels, including fracked gas, and generating Orlando’s energy from clean, renewable sources while creating good, family-sustaining jobs for workers. At a time when so many headlines are about how the climate crisis is fueling record-breaking heat, health issues, and hurricanes, OUC’s announcement is a rare bright spot, and worth celebrating.

“Thanks to Mayor Dyer, the Orlando City Council, OUC, and the tireless work of the First 50 Coalition, we now know when The City Beautiful will also become the city renewable.”

Beverlye Colson Neal, NAACP Orange County Branch President:

“The announced retirement of Orlando’s coal plant is a historic milestone for our community. The NAACP has worked hard at a national and local level to make sure our air and environment is clean and fossil fuel free, for the health of our community. Although this is a great step forward we are still committed to an Orlando completely free of fossil fuels, meaning no investment on toxic gas, and a strong commitment to increased investments in energy efficiency in our black and brown communities.”

Sandi Vidal, Co-President, League of Women Voters of Orange County:

“The closing of Orlando’s coal plants is an extraordinary win for the health of Central Floridians and for our environment. The League of Women Voters of Orange County applauds the Orlando Utilities Commission for listening to local citizens and setting a decisive path towards a renewable energy future. We are, however, disappointed in the decision to prolong the burning of gas. While we understand the need to be fiscally prudent and maintain reliability, the markets are making it clear that renewable energy is quickly becoming cheaper than and as reliable as fossil fuels, without harming health and our planet. The time for clean air and climate action is now.”

Denise Diaz, Co-Director, Central Florida Jobs with Justice:

“OUC’s plan to retire Stanton Coal Unit’s is a significant step in the right direction for the residents of the city. We applaud our local leadership and their efforts to make Orlando a sustainable city. Our hope is that OUC and the City of Orlando can ensure a Just Transition for affected workers of the Stanton Coal Plant. Moving towards a Green economy does not have to mean job loss but rather can ensure that affected workers can transition to opportunities not rooted in extractive industries. We look forward to OUC and the City of Orlando centering directly impacted workers and their families in a process that includes job retraining, secured pensions, health care benefits and pathways to new jobs."

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