JEA has reached an agreement to develop three solar energy facilities in Jacksonville. l Zbynek Burival, Unsplash
Published on May 15, 2024 at 5:23 pm
JEA soon will get more of its electricity from solar sources.
The city-owned utility announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with Florida Renewable Partners, a company within NextEra Energy, to develop three solar energy facilities in Jacksonville.
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The facilities will be able to produce 200 megawatts of power, enough to provide energy for more than 37,000 households of the more than 522,000 that JEA serves.
The utility said the power generated by the three facilities will avoid nearly 200,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, which is equal to the greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 47,000 vehicles on the roads a year, JEA said in a news release.
It’s not clear what effect the new solar facilities might have on customers’ bills. JEA would say only that it is working to provide energy cost-effectively, reliably and sustainably.
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The utility hopes to supply 35% of its power through clean energy sources by 2030. The new facilities will add 3% to the utility’s energy mix, which incudes about 10% nuclear and 4% from other renewable sources, JEA said.
All three new sites are in Jacksonville. One is at 17531 Wells Road and another at 1304 Old Plank Road. The third site does not have a formal address, but it is across the street from 9200 Plummer Road
Under the agreement, JEA will buy the energy produced at the facilities over a 35-year period for up to $626 million.
JEA said permitting at the sites is expected to start sometime in the third quarter of this year. The sites are expected to be producing energy for customers by the end of 2026.
