By rapidly doubling or tripling its solar capacity, OUC could make burning coal unnecessary. Unlike fossil fuels, solar power has no fuel cost, helping protect OUC customers from the price swings that come with natural gas and coal.
"It was really important to us for this to not feel like it could be an entity influenced by outside forces and it would really be a voter-led utility," said Raymer Maguire, who works on campaigns at The CLEO Institute, a Florida climate change advocacy group.
"The effort to site data centers around the state has exploded. We’re seeing them in all corners of the state. What seems to be happening is letting the horse out of the barn before we’ve contemplated all these important impacts and how we’re addressing and dealing with them."
“Coal is the most expensive form of electricity”
“If we continue to add dangerous climate pollution into the mix, then people who are already suffering and are typically hurt first and worst will suffer even more,” said Susan Glickman, Vice President of Policy and Partnerships at The CLEO Institute.
The concerns about hyperscale data centers have grown substantially around the country over the past year, as they consume enormous amounts of electricity and water. A conventional data center consumes as much electricity as 10,000 to 25,000 households, according to the International Energy Agency.
“Florida is a unique state with a fragile environment,” Glickman said. “The extreme water requirements and need for power generation for these centers are also unique and likely in conflict.”
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