JEA and the Stakeholder Engagement Committee considered several factors throughout the electric IRP process, including the following industry trends:

Renewable Energy

Governments and corporations are striving ambitiously to decarbonize, turning to renewable energy drawn from solar and wind, both on land and offshore. This is forcing power providers around the world to thoughtfully plan and invest in ways to accommodate new green energy on the grid. The ascendancy of new technologies — notably hydrogen, a rising star in tomorrow’s energy mix — and wider use of battery storage are drawing more attention, prodding utilities to integrate them in a diversified, balanced energy portfolio.

Decarbonization

In pursuit of a decarbonized electric grid by 2035, the Biden Administration has encouraged the U.S. economy to lower its carbon intensity, especially when it comes to buildings, transportation and heavy industry. Two emerging technologies — “green hydrogen” and battery energy storage — can help propel that quest for alternatives to fossil fuels.

Electric Vehicles

More and more auto manufacturers are announcing plans to stop production of combustion-engine vehicles within the next two decades. Recognizing the benefits of an electrified fleet, the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector — with its hundreds of thousands of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, delivery vans and buses — is getting on board. CALSTART’s Global Commercial Drive to Zero initiative reports that more than 108 models of commercial freight vehicles — e.g., zero-emission heavy-duty trucks, medium-duty truck and vans, and yard tractors — will be available from 46 manufacturers in the U.S. this year. As these medium- and heavy-duty EVs hit the streets, utility networks will have to handle simultaneous charging, corridor charging hubs and large charging depots, with some truck chargers imposing an instantaneous demand of 5 megawatts (MW), 10 MW or more.

• Introducing the Integrated Resource Planning Process
• 2021-2022 Black & Veatch Electric Report
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation One, presented 1/13/2022
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Two, presented 2/9/2022
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Three, presented 3/10/2022
• Mid May 2022 Stakeholders Report
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Four, presented 6/9/2022
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Five, presented 9/21/2022
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Six, presented 11/22/2022
• Stakeholder Engagement Presentation Seven, presented 2/3/2023
• Presentation to JEA Board of Directors, presented 3/28/2023
• Executive Summary
• Final Integrated Resource Plan
• Supporting Data
• Synopsis Flyer

 

Updated July 6, 2023

What are the plans for Northwest Jacksonville business development regarding battery, solar panels, and other green energy components? What entity is trying to attract these industries?

JEA along with JaxUSA, the regional economic development organization, and the City of Jacksonville’s Office of Economic Development, partner to attract investment in our community from various sectors that operate in clean energy industries. As an ever-growing number of clean/green technologies advance and are commercialized, we expect increased opportunities for our community to attract new businesses to Northeast Florida.

What role will rooftop solar and residential battery systems play in JEA and the city’s resiliency plans?

JEA is conducting a comprehensive review of the value of distributed energy resources, including community solar programs. One of our goals is to explore options that make rooftop solar accessible to more residents.

What is considered the lifetime of a solar farm?

The lifetime, or operational life, of a solar farm is typically between 25 and 30 years.

Community solar programs would make rooftop solar accessible to more residents without having to change net metering. Will this be made possible by JEA?

JEA is conducting a comprehensive review of the value of distributed energy resources, including community solar programs. One of our goals is to explore options that make rooftop solar accessible to more residents.

What is the status of the old coal plant site that was demolished?

JEA is working with a consultant on determining best uses for the site of the former St. Johns River Power Park.

Do you consider the low-moderate income and underserved areas of Jacksonville’s Northwest area that suffers most from carbon emissions and other negative effects of urban heat in your JEA policies and practices of making a cleaner, safer environment for us all? Be aggressive in the elimination of toxins emitted and where they end up in our city.

JEA considers all customers when making decisions. We are committing to generating energy that is affordable, reliable, and sustainable.

Are the COJ and JEA willing to collaborate on a robust green building policy to reduce the energy burden and greenhouse gas emissions and what are the innovative solutions being considered such as micro-grids, blockchain, etc.?

Collaborations between JEA and the City of Jacksonville on reducing our community’s energy burden and greenhouse gas emissions while improving resiliency are good steps forward. JEA looks forward to working with COJ leaders and local stakeholders to find the solutions that are right for Northeast Florida.

Why keep the Northside coal fired generator in service (at 50 years old). The Northside coal-fired plant produces high volumes of CO2 in addition to other air pollution that is harmful to human health. Refurbishing that generator will be enormous and expensive and continue harm.

JEA’s Northside Generating Station is a critical asset for maintaining electric system reliability, a service it provides while consistently remaining in full compliance with all applicable national and state air quality regulations and standards. The plant uses a diverse energy mix: natural gas, fuel oil, coal, and petroleum coke in three baseload generating units. Part of our IRP plan calls for decommissioning the natural gas-burning Unit 3 at JEA’s Northside Generating Station by 2030. We are exploring replacing that with a more efficient combined-cycle natural gas plant at a different location. The other two large steam units will continue operating.

Units 1 & 2 have some of the lowest emissions of any generating units in the country using similar fuels. Power Magazine recognized the two units with a Plant Award in 2012 for 10 years of continuous improvement to top tier performance. In addition, Northside has often been one of the most economical supply options.

In terms of best use of available acreage, are there more net carbon reduction benefits to planting trees on the same acreage that may be allocated to solar farms?

All projects need to have a balanced approach to land use and environmental impacts. In terms of net carbon reduction, there aren’t enough trees to offset all our CO2 emissions so we still will need to implement both emissions reductions and offsets (like forestry) beyond the 2030 horizon.

What are our off-take commitments from Plant Vogtle going forward in terms of actual MW? Is there a minimum for baseload with an opportunity to get more for either reliability or emission-free needs?

JEA is committed to receiving 103 MW from Unit 3 and 103 MW from Unit 4 24/7 for 20 years apiece, with no current ability to purchase more power during the contract term.

Has anyone ever looked at the possibility of redirecting all of the area’s water resources into some hydro outputs?

Water flow rate plays a big role in making hydro plants cost-effective. Gravity and predictable flows factor into the equation as well. Since Florida is relatively flat, the economics of current technologies mean hydropower is not economically viable for us.

How has JEA used federal funds to help customers with bills?

JEA works closely with nonprofit agencies and third-party vendors that distribute resources to assist customers in need. Customers apply directly to federal government vendors to receive utility bill assistance and then JEA takes direction from those vendors to apply funds directly to customer accounts.

Since November 2022, JEA has received and distributed $5,643,268 in Emergency Rent Assistance Program funding from the City of Jacksonville and state Department of Children & Families. We received $4,343,885 through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Homeowner Assistance Fund.

Explain why NextEra/FPL can commit to cutting carbon emissions by 82% by 2030, maintain reliability and customer costs, but JEA can’t?

JEA commits to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 which is comparable to stretch goals set by other entities across Florida and the nation. JEA’s clean energy goals for 2030 reflect a plan that is pragmatic and balances affordability, reliability, and sustainability.

Instead of electric cars, we have to go to bike, pedestrian, and mass-transit dominance. This way no more power plants are necessary and keep people from having problems. How do we achieve this?

We work closely with community partners addressing sustainability issues, and we work daily to balance reliability, affordability, and sustainability in our power generation. JEA’s 2030 goals call for 35% clean energy. We plan to achieve that by:.

• retiring less efficient generating assets.
• lead the way by using 100 percent clean energy to serve JEA facilities.
• increasing and enhancing energy efficient programs to offset growing demands from the ongoing electrification of homes, businesses, and vehicles.

Accomplished together by 2030, these goals will result in an 80 percent reduction in JEA’s overall carbon emissions since 2005.

Accomplished together by 2030, these goals will result in an 80 percent reduction in JEA’s overall carbon emissions since 2005.

The primary benefit for customers installing solar PV is to generate their electricity needs from a zero-carbon source. When our customers generate extra solar power they don’t use, we pay them back. We treat it like any other power we get, and that's at our regular fuel rate. This policy has been in place since 2018.

We have launched an initiative to further examine the value of customer-generated solar power today and in the future. We're doing a comprehensive study on the value of solar and expect to have the results by fall. Once we have all the findings, we'll re-examine reimbursement for our customers’ solar power. We want to consider all our zero-carbon generation options while not hurting our customers that can’t or choose not to install their own generation system.

How are we preparing to completely become a solar energy community?

We are committed to balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability in our power generation. Diversifying our energy mix helps us assure all three of those goals are met. Also, JEA is currently evaluating solar requests for proposal (RFP). The RFP is for four solar farms, with each up to 75 megawatts capacity. The target commercial operation date for these farms is Fall 2026.

A1A solar would be a perfect solar panel partnership with JEA customers like me. Have you contacted A1A Solar? 2% solar is 50% short.

JEA does not currently have partnerships with third-party solar vendors. However, we are committed to educating customers about solar. We want to ensure our customers are fully informed about costs and considerations when deciding about rooftop solar and have helpful resources to guide that decision-making. There are many factors to evaluate before installing a solar system on your home or business. JEA can help customers make informed decisions. JEA's Solar Advisor tool and Consumer's Guide to Solar Power can help customers evaluate the energy, financial and environmental aspects of going solar before signing a contract for solar equipment. Both tools are at jea.com/solar_energy

Please explain JEA’s position(s) on net metering. As a community owned utility, how will JEA assist seniors and low-income residents transition to home solar?

We do not model our net metering plans for any particular segment of customers. We have launched an initiative to examine the value of customer-generated solar power today and in the future. We're doing a comprehensive study on the value of solar and expect to have the results by fall. Once we have all the findings, we'll re-examine reimbursement for our customers’ solar power. We want to consider all our zero-carbon generation options while not hurting our customers that can’t or choose not to install their generation system.

What factors led to JEA setting a goal of 35% clean energy for 2030?

Our plan identifies and prepares energy options that serve the highest possible public good.

JEA’s goals reflect our mission of providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable power for our Northeast Florida customers.

Other utilities have set goals for 2050. Why didn’t JEA do the same?

The electric IRP is a process executed every 3-5 years with a 30-year outlook. The 2023 IRP study identified least cost energy resources to reliably serve all customers with additional energy resources by 2030. The modeling beyond 2030 to 2050 has too high a degree of variability and uncertainty for JEA to appropriately set longer term goals.

How were the various energy options selected or prioritized for the IRP?

Our planning process considered economics, environmental and reliability options to serve all customers.

One of JEA’s strategic objectives is planning for the future. We are proud to provide foundational services that drive economic development in our growing region. JEA is focused on making sure our infrastructure is resilient and reliable knowing our customers rely on our services, especially during adverse conditions.

How is JEA creating strategies to accommodate NEFL population growth?

The IRP factored in expected growth and increase in electrification. That consideration factored into all our modeling scenarios because one of JEA’s primary roles is to support growth and economic development.

What new technologies will be put in service because of this IRP?

JEA will be decommissioning a unit at Northside and adding a higher efficiency Combined Cycle plant with advanced technology at a different location. This will help us transition from fossil fuels. JEA’s solar farms, set for commercial operation in fall 2026, will be built with the latest solar panel technologies.

How will the IRP impact JEA’s rates, including fuel & electric costs?

We formulated a plan that balanced affordability, reliability, and sustainability. We know that for many of our customers, their utility bill is the second or third highest bill they pay each month, so costs were a critical part of our modeling. As a community-owned utility, JEA does everything it can to manage costs the best we can.

Will JEA conduct another IRP?

We won’t wait another 20 years to conduct an IRP. We will revisit the plan every three to five years to plan ahead. As technologies change, we’ll be updating our plan as needed and have committed to conducting two more IRPs by 2030.

What is the solar strategy?

The IRP analyzed a combination of existing and new energy supply resources, energy conservation, and other demand-side resources that serve the highest possible public good. To meet the demand of its customers and the ever-growing Northeast Florida community, JEA recently approved a solar agreement deal that will provide access to 150 megawatts of solar power produced through a five-year agreement with The Energy Authority. We also plan to add a mix of solar farms and additional purchase power agreements to reach our goal of 35 percent clean energy by 2030.

What is the electrification/EV outlook?

JEA is committed to being engaged and leveraging advanced technologies in the industry. We provide incentives for off-peak charging and a comprehensive customer education program.

How are we preparing our system to handle increased electrification from EVs?

JEA’s electric grid can handle the present and future electric vehicle charging requirements of our community. Planning for new electric loads is something that JEA and utility companies in general, do very well.

JEA’s grid is very robust at the circuit level in most areas. In our experience, most EV charging occurs at home through a Level 2 charger or 240V outlet. In nearly all cases, the JEA electric service going to the home can handle the additional load of a Level 2 charger. We have a program that provides incentives for off-peak charging and a comprehensive customer education program.

What are the next steps in the IRP process?

In the spirit of transparency, JEA will maintain this IRP resource page and provide updates here on future IRP efforts.