Orange County

OUC announces plan to switch power plant from coal to natural gas

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Utilities Commission announced a plan on Wednesday to significantly reduce its use of coal in the next few years.

Orlando Utilities Commission management announced its recommendation to transition the Stanton Energy Center’s coal-fired generating units to natural gas.

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They said their goal is to significantly reduce coal use at the plant by 2025 and eliminate coal by 2027.

Their long-term goal is to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.

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According to the Energy Information Administration, natural gas is cheaper than coal, which it has rapidly replaced, and produces 35% of the country’s electricity.

Click here to learn more about the plan.


Karen Parks

Karen Parks, WFTV.com

Karen Parks is a reporter at WFTV.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.