The Sierra Club and more than 20 other Floridian groups, collectively known as the Sunshine State Clean Energy Coalition, rallied in Williams Park outside of the headquarters with signs reading “Solar is the Power” and “Let the Sun Shine In” for the Wednesday morning demonstration.
“We know that Duke, the nation’s largest utility, is building solar power and investing in energy savings in other states,” organizer Julia Hathaway said.
“But here in Florida, Duke is stalling, and wants to keep sending our energy dollars out of state. It’s time for the Sunshine State to see real investment in solar energy that will create jobs and clean up our air.”
Senior campaign representative Kelly Martin said that Crystal River violates air quality standards for sulfur dioxide pollution. While the utility has planned to close units 1 and 2 by 2020, the groups are urging an earlier closure in 2016 because it claims the generators are among the nation’s worst polluters.
Florida Consumer Action Network political director Tim Heberlein said that by refusing to increase investment into renewable energy technologies, including solar and wind and geothermal technologies, utilities such as Duke were denying access by investors to domestic technology and manufacturing markets.
“This resistance to economic growth means that the United States is lagging behind countries like China, Germany and Norway in the new energy economy,” he said.
“When we invest in renewable energy as part of a comprehensive change to our state and our countries portfolio, we create new high-tech jobs, we promote policies that strengthen national security, we develop new vehicles for investment and economic growth, we promote the well-being of our natural resources, and we create REAL, long-lasting energy independence.”
Duke officials did not release public statement on the rally.
According to Sierra Club data, 152 US coal-fired power plants have been slated for retirement since 2010 as part of a 20% decline in coal generation over two years.
