Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org
JACKSONVILLE, Fla - On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan hosted the first of a new series of town halls at the William Raines Senior High School, less than 12 miles away from JEA’s Northside Generating Station. Local residents, Sierra Club members, and staff – alongside other advocacy groups including Solar United Neighbors – attended the town hall to question the Mayor on her view of the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA’s) continued operations of the polluting Northside coal plant, renewable energy development, and why local energy bills are increasingly unaffordable.
Soon-to-expire federal tax credits on clean, renewable energy make it more cost-efficient than ever to develop solar power. However, JEA, the city’s public utility, is refusing to prioritize cheaper, cleaner solar power capable of dramatically reducing energy bills, instead locking residents into higher bills and pushing families to make dangerous choices between food, power, and medicine.
JEA’s clean energy development delays also increase Jacksonville’s dependence on unreliable, polluting fossil fuels like the Northside Generating Station. Sierra Club's expert analysis has consistently shown that by retiring the Northside coal plant and replacing it with clean, renewable energy JEA could save customers $15 million per year.
“This winter, we have spoken with people from across Jacksonville who share an outrage and disappointment in JEA’s sky-high utility bills and lack of care for community health,” said Suzanne Sapp, Sierra Club Senior Campaign Organizer. “The Northside Generating Station is polluting our air and racking up our bills. It’s time to replace the old plant with cleaner, affordable, solar power and battery storage that keeps the lights on and bills affordable. Mayor Deegan and JEA must take advantage of the expiring solar tax credits before it's too late.”
“We are concerned about pollution and rising energy costs, especially with so many of us being on fixed incomes or young people struggling to find employment,” said Leah Farrell, Affordability Associate with Solar United Neighbors. “We are asking for Mayor Deegan to speak with JEA to ensure a transparent energy planning process and re-evaluate the utility’s incorporation of renewable energy.”
“Every month I struggle to pay my utility bill, specifically my electric bill,” said Eliza Green, Jacksonville resident. “Mayor Deegan and JEA need to provide relief and help. People are struggling and my family is one of them.”
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.