Ricky Junquera, ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org
JACKSONVILLE, FL - The Sierra Club released the second version of their Dirty Truth Report earlier this Fall and this week rolled out a major full-page ad buy in the Florida Times Union that will go to print Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
A year and a half ago, the organization analyzed the plans of 77 utilities owned by the 50 companies most invested in fossil fuel generation and found that while the majority of the utilities had stated goals of significant carbon reduction over the next few decades, there was a colossal gap between their ongoing practices and the steps they need to take to avert climate disaster.
JEA is currently going through an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) planning process where they are weighing their options on the future of energy generation in Jacksonville. Earlier this fall, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law which provides direct funding opportunities to municipal utilities like JEA that will make clean energy investments more affordable and accessible than ever before.
“With the JEA Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process ongoing, JEA has an opportunity to improve its grade next year by making a commitment to retiring coal, avoiding new gas, and ramping up renewable energy investments,” said Logan Cross, Chair of the Sierra Club Northeast Florida. “The Inflation Reduction Act provides unprecedented funding for municipal utilities such as JEA to make a clean energy transition while also saving customers money.”
In September of this year before the passing of the IRA, the Sierra Club released a report on the economic feasibility of JEA transitioning away from fossil fuel energy generation to clean renewable energy. Key findings showed that retiring and replacing JEA’s Northside Coal Units (Units 1 and 2) with clean, renewable energy would save customers $15 million to $60 million per year while cutting climate pollution and local air pollution emissions by more than half. Also, an 80% carbon-free electricity system by 2030 for JEA can be affordable, reliable, and meet demand even under challenging conditions.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.