Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org
ORLANDO, FL. -- Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) has received its fourth consecutive ‘B’, according to the Sierra Club’s 2024 Dirty Truth Report. OUC’s score has improved since last year’s report, jumping eight points from a 61 out of 100 to 69. Despite gaining ground, OUC still falls eight points behind juggernaut Florida Power and Light (FPL), which scored a 75 out of 100.
The Sierra Club’s annual Dirty Truth Report, now in its fourth iteration, analyzes the plans of 75 utilities in the U.S. and assigns scores and grades based on three criteria: plans to retire polluting coal plants by 2030, whether they plan to build new gas power plants through 2035, and the scale of their plans to develop clean energy through 2035.
Last year marked the first year FPL overtook OUC in scoring since the launch of the Dirty Truth report in 2021. This year, under the leadership of the OUC Board appointed by and including Mayor Buddy Dyer, OUC’s grade improved at equal pace with FPL. OUC has committed to retiring 100% of their coal generation by 2030 and replacing 59% of their fossil generation with clean energy. However, the utility also plans to add 333 MW of new gas by 2035.
“OUC’s score improved this year, marking a positive change for Orlando,” said Susannah Randolph, Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director. “However, it is disheartening to see continued plans for gas expansion and less clean energy commitments than the climate crisis requires. With help from federal funding, OUC can boost their grade and build the sustainable city Orlando needs.”
Although clean energy is less expensive than 99 percent of existing coal and new gas generation, only 20 of the 75 utilities have plans to be entirely coal-free by 2030. The utilities in the report are also planning to build 93 GW of new gas capacity through 2035. The amount of planned gas per year is higher than in any previous version of our report, indicating a troubling trend among these utilities.
Still, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 continues to reduce the cost of clean energy while creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Wind and solar energy overtook coal in power generation through the first half of 2024 and are expected to continue their progress for the rest of the year, a major milestone for the power sector. But many utilities are lagging behind, deploying wind and solar too slowly while hanging on to dirty, expensive coal plants.
Utilities scored an overall grade of 'D,' or 29 out of 100, in the report, only improving their overall score by 12 points since 2021, the first year Sierra Club conducted the analysis. 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 since the first version of the report.
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.