In December 2024, Sierra Club succeeded in convincing the Florida Public Service Commission to take a step towards ridding Florida of its remaining coal-burning plants, ordering the retirement of coal equipment at the Polk Power Station, one of Tampa Electric Utility's (TECO) two remaining coal facilities.
In 2024, TECO filed a rate case requesting a rate increase of more than 40 percent, while also planning for continued investment in and refurbishment of its polluting coal and gas assets. TECO customers already currently pay the third highest energy bills in the country. Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program (ELP) intervened in the rate case.
Despite a very utility-deferential Commission, Sierra Club received some favorable outcomes. The Commission’s order to retire equipment at Polk 1 results in retiring coal at the plant entirely. The Commission also rejected ratepayer co-funding of a federal carbon capture and storage grant. While TECO continues to harm its customers with exorbitant rates and unnecessary expenditures on gas plants and coal at Big Bend 4, the Commission delivered an encouraging and necessary check on the Tampa utility as a result of ELP advocacy and Sierra Club organizers who have been holding the utility's feet to the fire for years.