JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Local activists plan to deliver bags of coal, a coalition letter and holiday cards to Jacksonville Electric Authority headquarters on Wednesday, to protest the continued operation of the Northside Generating Station coal plant and rising utility rates, organizers said.
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Supporters from Sierra Club, the CLEO Institute, the NAACP, Solar United Neighbors, the Florida Interfaith Climate Action Network and the St. Johns Riverkeeper will gather at JEA headquarters, 225 N. Pearl St., from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The press conference and coal delivery are scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m., organizers said. Santa is expected to join the demonstration.
Organizers said the action is intended to press JEA for cleaner air, lower bills and a stronger commitment to renewable energy, including an Integrated Resource Plan that prioritizes clean, affordable power. They plan to hand JEA small bags of coal, holiday cards and a coalition letter signed by groups urging retirement of the coal units.
Earlier this year, JEA’s 541,000 customers faced a 3.7 percent increase in their overall utility bill, organizers noted, and another 5 percent increase is already scheduled to take effect in 2026.
JEA is scheduled to release an updated Integrated Resource Plan in 2026 that will guide the utility’s mix of power sources. Organizers said retiring the Northside coal units would save customers up to $500 million over 12 years, reduce harmful emissions and prevent about 112 asthma attacks each year.
Speakers at the delivery will include Suzanne Sapp of the Sierra Club; Larry Zwain and John Burr of Sierra Club Northeast Florida; Deborah Thompson of the NAACP; and Leah Farrell of Solar United Neighbors.