JEA’s expansion of solar power suffered a major setback when a contract fell through that would have delivered enough sun-powered electricity to light up tens of thousands of homes.
JEA still is moving ahead with a separate agreement that will deliver electricity from construction of three new solar farms in Jacksonville by the end of 2026.
The one step forward, one step back for solar power comes as environmental groups say JEA isn’t adding close to enough solar capacity for it reach the utility’s own target of 35% clean energy by 2030.
JEA now gets 15% of its power from clean energy that comprises nuclear power, solar power, landfill gas and biomass. Most of the carbon-free energy comes from the Plant Vogtle nuclear plant that finally came online in Georgia after years of delays and cost overruns.
Getting the rest of the way to the 2030 target would require a major expansion of carbon-free power such as solar that environmental groups say JEA has been slow to embrace compared to other utilities.
“Jacksonville deserves cleaner air, lower bills and a real commitment to renewable energy, not more coal,” Suzanne Sapp, a senior campaign advisor for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, said during a Dec. 17 protest at JEA’s headquarters.
Protesters from groups including the Sierra Club of Northeast Florida, CLEO Institute, NAACP and St. Johns Riverkeeper then marched into JEA headquarters and dropped off coal in bags labeled “Naugty” along with holiday cards and a letter to utility CEO Vickie Cavey.
Protesters pointed to a plan enacted by JEA in 2023 that said the utility would work to get 35% of its electricity from clean energy.
“They’re going to have to hear from ratepayers and people are going to have to put a little pressure on them,” said Sierra Club Northeast Florida member John Burr. “And hopefully our public representatives will hear that buzz in the community and start addressing this also.”
JEA says it continually examines the best way to produce electricity for its 530,000 customers in the Jacksonville area.
“As JEA plans for future clean energy investments, we are carefully evaluating the economics of clean energy projects, particularly given potential changes to federal tax incentives,” JEA spokeswoman Karen McAllister said.
She such the investments must be cost-effective for customers while maintaining reliability of service.
JEA set the 35% goal after environmental groups said the utility was missing in action in the fight to cut carbon emissions from fossil fuels in power plants. JEA was at around 1% in the clean energy category when the utility did its integrated resource plan for electric generation.
JEA then entered into a five-year contract for purchasing solar power produced by Florida Power & Light. That contract in 2023 helped JEA get to 15% clean energy along with power that JEA purchases from the Plant Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia.
JEA also entered into a contact in 2023 to buy solar power over 20 years from the Florida Municipal Power Agency. But the company that was going to build the solar farms producing that electricity ran into delays and escalating costs.
The Florida Municipal Power Agency’s board terminated the contract in June with the company that was going to build the solar farms, which effectively ended JEA’s agreement to buy the solar power. JEA supported cancellation of that contract.
JEA still is moving forward on a 35-year agreement with Florida Renewable Partners to build and operate new solar farms on three sites owned by JEA. The utility expects those solar farms to open by the end of 2026.
The three solar farms, which will have battery storage for times when the sun isn’t shining, would power 3% of JEA’s electric needs. They will bring the current 15% clean energy total to 18%, or roughly halfway to the 2030 target.
On the coal side of electric generation, the utility’s figures show its use of coal has fallen drastically in recent years.
Coal and petroleum coke, which looks like coal but comes from oil refining byproducts, accounted for 64% of the fuel used by JEA to generate electricity in 2014. A decade later, coal accounted for 1% of the fuel mix and pet coke was at 5% in 2024.
But JEA still relies heavily on carbon-emitting fossil fuels, primarily natural gas, for generating electricity. Members of the groups delivering coal at JEA headquarters said solar would be easier to build and less costly to operate than a new natural gas plant JEA intends to build.
“It’s a no-brainer really and that’s why utilities around the country are gravitating toward solar because they know that long-term, it’s the way to go,” Burr said.
JEA will start working in 2026 on an update to the long-range plan for electricity. The review will involve an assessment of the current 35% clean energy goal. Part of the message delivered to Cavey was for JEA to make that update a public process.

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