OUC Stanton Smoke Stacks – Too little, too late

Last Wednesday, I was driving through East Orlando where I once again witnessed the coal ash rising from the smokestacks at the Stanton Energy Center. I was reminded of how close it is to Avalon Park and adjacent neighborhoods. Upon doing further research, I learned about the damaging effects the burning of coal and natural gas has on our health and environment. I am reminded that global climate change is not a future concept; it is happening here and now. A large portion of the power generated from this Center is distributed by OUC to power homes across the central Florida area. 

The OUC has developed a plan to cease burning coal by 2027 (by converting to natural gas), then cut carbon emissions by 50% in 2030. The 2020 Electric Integrated Resource Plan (EIRP) report discusses these plans in detail with an emphasis on achieving affordability, reliability, resiliency, and sustainability while meeting the City of Orlando’s target of 100% renewable energy by 2050. While it seems promising, the roadmap has several notable shortcomings.  

The first limitation is who OUC included in the EIRP process. The plan was developed from a two-year study consisting of community meetings, surveys, and a 12-member Advisory Council, meant to best represent OUC’s community stakeholders. The fall EIRP workshop was scheduled during the early afternoon on a weekday, limiting participation from most of OUC’s customers. Surveys received feedback from 1,377 individuals (per the EIRP report), representing less than 0.6% of the company’s 246,000 clientele. Finally, the 12-member Advisory Council consisted of individuals selected from the City and County Commissioners and included CEOs, entrepreneurs, and directors with little socioeconomic or ethnic diversity, poorly representing Central Florida’s over 50% nonwhite (and at least 30% Latinx) residents. 

 Beyond representation, the plans also fail to address health concerns voiced by residents in the East Orlando area near the Stanton Energy Center. A class-action lawsuit was filed against OUC, given these concerns, but it was dismissed last year; OUC affirms that the claims were unsupported by data provided by the Florida Department of Health in 2019. Given a closer look, the information provided by the department is narrow in scope, only pulling information related to pediatric brain and nervous system cancers without consideration of the large variety of health implications frequently attributed to coal ash contamination including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, developmental, and reproductive diseases. The FDOH report provides further information on maximum and health advisory levels of various contaminants produced by coal ash with unclear measures of current levels in areas closest to the smokestacks. 

 From my readings, I have seen the steps OUC has taken to mitigate environmental concern and their future goals to transition into renewable energy. However, the lack of urgency denoted in the process developed suggests the assumption that global climate change continues to be an event far off in the future that we can beat as long as we have everything in order by 2050. With each passing day of inaction, there is an increased chance of health and environmental catastrophes, whether they be sudden or lifelong. These events are happening now, not in 2027, 2030, or 2050. 

For a while, I’ve been overwhelmed by companies like OUC, that advertise their green initiatives while making impactful choices with limited community input and gaslighting the public’s concerns. I want to work toward a greener future, but I have felt stuck in this system that favors corporations as lead decision-makers. The organization Poder Latinx has helped create a setting for working on actionable goals to develop this future by focusing on fixing the information gap that often leaves minority groups powerless and voiceless in decisions that affect us daily. Specifically, through recurring open virtual meetings, site events, and the sharing of pertinent information in both English and Spanish, the organization supports the ability for Latinx and other minority groups to gain greater visibility and control over choices made in our communities (including the coal fight against OUC) that affect our environment and subsequently, our survival. The fight for cleaner energy, sooner, continues.