Florida Power wants out of the biggest coal plant in the U.S.

Florida Power & Light Co. no longer wants to own part of the nation’s largest operating coal-fired power plant.

FPL, the state’s largest electric company, told utility regulators in the Sunshine State last week that it plans to exit its ownership of one of four units at Plant Scherer, a massive coal plant near Juliette, Ga., that’s been in operation since the 1980s.

FPL wants to abandon its ownership of Unit 4 of the plant by January 2022. The move is part of the utility’s plan to remove coal from its system, the majority of which already is natural gas, nuclear and a growing portfolio of utility-scale solar. The utility also plans to close a 330-megawatt coal plant on Florida’s Treasure Coast and two older natural gas steam units on the state’s west coast.

FPL made its plans known in a 10-year site plan filed with the Florida Public Service Commission. FPL is owned by South Florida-based energy giant NextEra Energy Inc., which owns the world’s largest renewable energy developer, NextEra Energy Resources.

FPL owns 76% of Unit 4 at Plant Scherer, and Jacksonville, Fla.’s electric company, JEA, owns the remaining share. JEA did not say in its 10-year site plan what it wants to do with its portion of Plant Scherer, and the utility did not respond to questions from E&E News by deadline.

The owner of Plant Scherer, Atlanta-based Southern Co.’s Georgia Power, has routinely made headlines for its carbon emissions, as it’s the largest coal plant in the nation. The plant’s four units combined can produce up to 3,600 MW of electricity and power more than 2 million homes.

[Kristi E. Swartz]

9 April 2020

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