Utilities commit to clean energy but are not on track to meet goals, report says

Central Florida Public Media | By Amy Green

Published June 24, 2022 at 2:12 PM EDT

Orlando is among fewer than a dozen local governments across Florida to commit to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.

A new report shows that utilities across the Southeast — including in Florida — are not on track to meet goals for transitioning to cleaner energy by midcentury.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy produced the report based on scientific guidance that emissions must be at net-zero by midcentury to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

The report’s authors compared utilities’ decarbonization goals with internal plans. Maggie Shober of SACE says at its current rate, FPL’s parent company will NOT meet its goal.

“Even though they have a target for 2045, they are not on track to decarbonize by 2050 at their current rate. So we’re seeing inconsistencies between utility goals and their plans.”

NextEra Energy, which owns Florida Power & Light, announced this month it would work toward eliminating emissions by 2045, a goal it says is the most ambitious ever by an energy provider.