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The JEA electric system currently serves more than
417,000 electric
customers in Jacksonville and parts of three adjacent counties. JEA's water system serves more than 305,000 water customers and 230,000 sewer customers in Northeast Florida. Approximately 42 percent of JEA’s electric revenues come from our 368,000 residential customers, 45 percent from 46,000 commercial and industrial customers and 3 percent from one wholesale customer. The commercial and industrial market segment also accounts for about one-third of the water and wastewater revenue.
Electric System
JEA owns and operates an electric system with three generating plants and a fourth in the planning stages, and all transmission and distribution facilities including approximately 730 miles of transmission lines and 6,000 miles of distribution lines. JEA is also a joint owner with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) in a third power plant, the St. Johns River Power Park (SJRPP), operated by JEA. SJRPP has a work force of over 350 employees and consists of two 624 net megawatt coal/petroleum coke-fired generating units. In addition, JEA is a joint owner with FPL of Unit 4 at Georgia Power Company’s coal-fired Plant Scherer. JEA owns a 200 net megawatt share of Unit 4. Finally, JEA produces 3.2 megawatts from a methane-fueled generating facility at the Girvin Road Landfill and 9.6 MW from Trail Ridge Landfill. A 12.6 MW solar project is coming online in 2010. JEA’s total generating capacity is approximately 3,050 megawatts.
JEA's newest generating facility is Brandy Branch, located in west Jacksonville, home to three 170 megawatt combustion turbine units. These units are capable of operating on both natural gas and diesel fuel. Units1 and 2 went into commercial operation May 31, 2001, followed by Unit 3 on October 12, 2001.
Recently, JEA broke ground on Greenland Energy Center (GEC), a clean, efficient technology generating plant similar to our Brandy Branch Generating Station. GEC is being built just south and west of the State road 9A/proposed 9B corridor. Upon completion, Greenland Energy Center will enhance electric system generation and reliability. The initial phase of GEC will be the construction of two natural gas-fired simple cycle combustion turbine units (CT1 and CT2) that are proposed to be operational 2011.
JEA is also home to two of the largest circulating fluidized bed combustors, or CFBs, in the world. The Northside Generating Station Repowering Project helped diversify JEA’s generation fleet. These CFBs produce nearly 300 megawatts each and utilize coal and petroleum coke as fuels.
Water and Sewer Systems
JEA's Water System consists of 134 artesian wells tapping the Floridian Aquifer, which is one of the world's most productive aquifers. Water is distributed through
35
water treatment plants and 4,208 miles of water lines. More than 3,760 miles of collection lines and seven regional
and eight non-regional
sewer treatment plants comprise the JEA sewer system.
JEA is committed to improving water quality of the St. Johns River. One outstanding example of how we're working to meet our goal to reduce nitrogen release into the river is through the use of reclaimed water for irrigation.
The Energy Authority
JEA is also a founding member of The Energy Authority (TEA), which was created in August 1997 to represent its member utilities in the sale and purchase of wholesale electricity. Today, TEA membership consists of 39 public power utilities across the country. To learn more about TEA, click here.
Water and Sewer Expansion Authority
The Water and Sewer Expansion Authority was established in 2003 for the purpose of addressing challenges experienced by the approximately 175,000 homeowners dependent upon septic systems in connecting to municipal water and sewer. Many of these septic systems are aged and failing, which not only causes difficulties for homeowners in those areas, but presents environmental challenges to Duval County creeks and waterways.
Since JEA does not fund water and sewer neighborhood infrastructure in neighborhoods, many communities without public water or sewer lines find it difficult to get the needed property owner commitment to pay for new infrastructure because of the cost. The WSEA will offer an alternative for financing an approved neighborhood infrastructure project by allowing the capital costs to be financed over a number of years through an additional capital charge on monthly utility billings.
JEA will support the WSEA with nearly full utility services including capital project management, purchasing, billing, customer service, operations and maintenance and some accounting and finance support on a contractual basis. To learn more about WSEA, click here.
Leadership
JEA's governing body consists of a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. JEA is not subject to state regulation, except for certain environmental and health matters, power plant location, electric safety and electric rate structure matters. JEA’s Board of Directors may be contacted via e-mail at jeaboard@jea.com.
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