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JEA plans to meet the electrical needs of our growing community by constructing two 175- megawatt natural gas fired combustion turbines at the Greenland Energy Center. The new generating station will meet our customers’ needs during times of high electrical demand, or peaks. It will do so with the state-of-the-art, clean, efficient technology and equipment we are using now at two JEA generating stations—Brandy Branch and Kennedy. After careful consideration, JEA determined the Florida 9A/9B connection corridor area (south of Butler Boulevard, east of Interstate 95 and north of the St. Johns County line) presents the best location to enhance reliability. A new gas line and electrical substation are also proposed as a necessary part of construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is JEA planning a generating station on the southeast side of Jacksonville?
A: Lack of Generation East of the St. Johns River
Currently, JEA has no generating stations east of the St. Johns River. All the transmission of electricity to this area crosses the St. Johns River. In the event of an incident that would result in the failure of this transmission, the ability to provide power to this area of Jacksonville would be impaired or lost.
Increased Reliability
Placing new generation capabilities at this location will assist in meeting our customers’ future electricity needs, significantly improve electric reliability during peak loads, and prevent a loss of transmission in the event power cannot be supplied from generation across the river.
High Growth Area
This area has the greatest increase in electrical demand within JEA’s service area due to population growth and construction.
Total Electric Demand Increase
Even with an increased focus on energy conservation, under normal conditions, our community’s overall growth rate requires approximately 70-100 additional megawatts per year.
Q: What are the benefits of the new generating station?
A: The clean-burning natural gas turbines of the Greenland Energy Center provide electricity with a low air emission output, and the turbines are capable of using
ultra-low sulfur diesel as a backup fuel. Construction of the new facility will have minimal impact on wetland areas. The existing transmission corridor will be used, and JEA’s reclaimed water will be available for the plant’s process water needs. Through design and land buffering, and because the plant is within an existing industrial corridor, there will be minimal impact on traffic and the community. In the future, conversion to combined-cycle generation will allow for increased production using heat already produced during the process. The new generating station will enable JEA to provide service to the southeast area of Jacksonville if there is an event that interrupts transmission across the river.
Q: When will the facility begin operation?
A: Permitting began in 2008. We began electricity generation from the Greenland Energy Center in 2011.
Q: Where can I learn more about the new generating station?
A: For more information, visit jea.com or call JEA’s Project Outreach at 665-7500.
Greenland Quick Facts: The Advantages
- Low air emission output from natural gas fired units
- Ability to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel as a backup fuel
- Ability to tie directly into the existing electric transmission system without building additional offsite transmission structures
- Ability to tie into JEA’s reclaimed water grid for the plant’s operating water, reducing the need for aquifer water
- Conversion to combined-cycle generation will provide for future growth
- No service loss to the southeast section of Jacksonville in the event of an interruption of transmission that currently crosses the river
- Minimal wetland impacts during construction
- Minimized noise impacts through design and current land buffering
- Minimized traffic, visual and community impacts by locating within existing industrial/utility corridor
- Heat exhaust stack 115 feet high for simple cycle production process; proposed combined cycle conversion will include a stack 190 feet high
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