JEA’s board met in its new headquarters for the first time this week as legislation moves in Tallahassee that some critics fear could open the door to selling off the city-owned utility.
The legislation would put a cap on how much money public utility companies could contribute to local governments. JEA currently gives the city more than $120 million each year.
Efforts to sell JEA to the parent company of Florida Power and Light Co. back in 2019 failed, largely due to widespread public opposition. The privatization attempt also sparked a federal grand jury investigation and indictments.
In related news, at its board meeting, JEA shared some goals it's considering by the end of the decade. The highlights include:
- Reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas driving climate change, by 80%.
- Getting 35% of its energy from renewable energy sources like nuclear and solar.
- Retiring less efficient generation sources, including a natural gas plant.
- Powering all JEA facilities with 100% clean energy.
- Offsetting rising demand for electricity with energy efficiency programs.
Also making headlines this week:
- Jacksonville has asked a court to let the city halt its appeal of a racial gerrymandering ruling while the city finalizes a settlement with civil rights groups;
- Two historic buildings have a date with the wrecking ball, despite public outcry and numerous attempts to save them.
- The USS Orleck is moving, but not as soon as many had hoped.
Guests:
- Randy DeFoor, Jacksonville City Council member.
- Dan Scanlan, WJCT News reporter.
- Fred Matthews, regular WJCT News contributor and host of the podcast “To My Way of Thinking.”
A flock of flamingos has landed at the Cummer
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has its first exhibition in the gardens opening this weekend.
"Flamboyance! A Topiary Menagerie" is the museum’s first horticultural exhibition. The exhibition features 50 topiary flamingos, each almost 5 feet tall.
Guest: Patrick MacRae, Doolittle family director of gardens and horticulture for the Cummer Museum.
