JEA Reduces Carbon Emissions With Closure Of Plant Scherer Coal-Fired Unit

January 18, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
January 18, 2022

Florida public power utility JEA kicked off 2022 with a reduced emissions footprint as a result of the closure of Plant Scherer’s Unit 4, in Juliette, Ga.

JEA has replaced coal-fired electric power from Plant Scherer with natural gas through a power purchase agreement with investor-owned Florida Power & Light (FPL). JEA and FPL have jointly owned Plant Scherer, Unit 4, since 1991. Unit 4, operated by Georgia Power, ceased operations on Dec. 31, 2021. 

Plant Scherer is the largest coal-fired power facility in the U.S. with four power generating units. The plant’s 900-megawatt class generating units burned Powder River Basin Coal. JEA owns 23.64% of Unit 4, and FPL controls the remaining 76.36%

By replacing power from Plant Scherer with natural gas, JEA has lowered operating costs, reduced operating risks and reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 1.3 million tons per year, it noted, adding that it continues to diversify its electric generation portfolio with the addition of renewable energy resources, including natural gas, solar and biogas.

JEA has reduced its carbon emissions by 53 percent since 2007 with the closing of St. Johns River Power Park coal-fired plant and the decommissioning of Plant Scherer.   

JEA this year is launching its integrated resource plan, which will lay out its future electric generation mix plans and strategic direction for the next two decades.