Ricky Junquera, ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org
TAMPA, FL -- Tampa Electric Company (TECO) receives a failing grade, according to the Sierra Club’s 2023 Dirty Truth Report released today. TECO continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels with their transition from coal to methane gas at the Big Bend Generating Station, with the volatile gas market benefiting TECO’s sister company People’s Gas. At the same time, Florida Power and Light (FPL) continues to increase its renewable energy share nationally with massive solar and battery storage facilities under construction near Tampa Bay.
Although clean energy is less expensive than 99 percent of existing coal and new gas generation, only 20 of the 77 utilities have plans to be entirely coal-free by 2030. Combined, these 77 utilities are planning to build 53 gigawatts of new gas plants through 2030, nearly 40 percent more than was planned last year.
Since the passage of President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, only 30 utilities featured in the report have filed updated planning documents, and they received a score of 27/100, just one point higher than the average for all utilities. If utilities fully utilize the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, they could save households hundreds of dollars in annual energy costs, create good-paying jobs, and reduce climate pollution for all communities.
The Sierra Club’s annual Dirty Truth Report analyzes the plans of 77 utilities owned by 50 parent companies and assigns scores and grades to the utilities based on three criteria: plans to retire polluting coal plants, whether they plan to build new gas power plants, and the scale of their investment in clean energy through 2030. In an interactive webpage, users can see their utility’s score and what progress–if any–the utility has made toward transitioning to cleaner, more affordable energy.
In response, Walter L. Smith, II, a leading representative of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign, released the following statement:
“TECO has not changed its plans to continue burning coal until 2045. Every year that TECO burns coal and gas it increases costs to our communities, both through rate increases and severe health impacts. TECO continues to be a bad actor. Their actions demonstrate a true disconnection from the people of frontline communities. Instead of investing in positive development for the people, they are leaving an increasing number of people with energy burdens and having to choose between paying utility bills or putting food on the table.”
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.