JACKSONVILLE, Florida — The JEA board of directors approved rate increases for electric, water, and sewer service on Tuesday, with the average residential customer paying about $8.16 more per month starting October 1.
The utility said the increases — 6.2 percent for electric service and 8 percent for water and sewer — are needed to close a projected $107 million budget shortfall across the three systems. For a typical residential customer, the electric increase averages $2.41 per month and the water and sewer increase adds about $5.75.
> "As our region continues to grow, we are making infrastructure investments to maintain the reliable electric and water services our customers depend on every day," said JEA Managing Director and CEO Vickie Cavey. "These rate adjustments will help us address rising operating costs and strengthen our systems to support Northeast Florida today and into the future."
JEA highlighted progress in reducing carbon emissions by 53 percent since 2007, citing the closure of the coal-fired St. Johns River Power Park and the decommissioning of Plant Scherer in Georgia. The utility plans to build a combined-cycle natural gas plant at the former power park site to enhance reliability and further lower emissions.
During public comment, some residents urged the board to pursue more aggressive renewable energy investments. Jacksonville resident Leah Ferrel argued the question should not be whether to raise rates but "how can we work to meet our city's energy needs in the challenging moment we find ourselves in. The answer is that JEA needs to deepen solar investments."
