NEW Sierra Club Report: Duke Energy Backslides on Clean Energy Transition

Orlando, FL- Duke Energy Florida's lackluster investment in renewable energy and ongoing commitment to burning coal and gas earned the utility an 8% (F) in the fifth installment of the Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledgesreport, released today. Duke Energy Florida's inaugural score was 1% (F) in 2021 and peaked at 10% (F) in 2023. Duke's score remains low because it currently has no plan to stop burning coal at its Crystal River power plant.

The report grades 75 utilities across the country - in an apples-to-apples comparison - of their plans to retire coal plants by 2030, not build new gas plants through 2035, and transition to clean energy through 2035. The average utility score was 15% (F), the lowest average score since the report launched in 2021.

Dragging Duke Energy Florida's score down is the uncertain future of its Crystal River coal-burning power plant. Duke is studying a closure plan for the power plant that will come out later this year. Sierra Club analysis of public data finds the coal plant was only needed 11% of the time during peak summer demand, and proposes that costly polluting power could be replaced by accelerating the utility's investments in solar and battery storage, providing a hedge against volatile gas costs for customers. Duke can still act now to take advantage of sunsetting renewable energy incentives. Renewable energy is important to the largest tech companiesto power their data centers, which Duke wants to attract to its service territory with a new rate structureit seeks approval of from state regulators.

Duke is a monopoly utility, meaning customers do not have a choice in where to buy electricity. High utility bills is one reason that St. Petersburg is evaluating whether it can establish a municipal utility to replace Duke as its electricity provider.

Statement from Walter Smith, Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer in Tampa Bay:

"The best thing Duke's state director Melissa Seixas can do to ease utility bill impacts for customers is to retire the Crystal River coal-burning power plant and replace it with solar and storage. Duke's peer utilities in Florida have demonstrated it's possible and practical, and it's not too late for Melissa Seixas to realize these benefits for customers."

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 https://www.sierraclub.org.