Tampa, FL — On Wednesday, members of the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition and Food & Water Watch introduced a community-drafted Affordable Energy and Climate Plan to the Hillsborough County Commission. This request comes less than a month after Hillsborough County was granted an unsolicited federal grant of $709 million for disaster relief and climate resiliency infrastructure projects.

The plan’s introduction comes after two years of sustained community activism to protect residents and small businesses from skyrocketing energy bills and worsening climate fueled storms; and just months after 80+ residents joined at a community workshop to discuss an Affordable Energy and Climate Plan for the County. 34 small businesses have also written to the County Commission requesting passage of an affordable energy plan.

The proposed ordinance seeks to establish initiatives for expanding energy efficiency and weatherization, moving toward electrification, phasing out county fossil fuel use, and providing guidelines for county involvement in rate hike hearings, among other measures. 

Hillsborough County residents receive 88% of their energy from fracked gas. Over reliance on fossil fuels and under development of renewables leaves Floridians vulnerable to ongoing volatility in fossil fuel markets, in addition to their costly climate impacts that ravaged the region last fall.

Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer with Food & Water Watch said:

“Hillsborough County residents are struggling from skyrocketing electricity bills, extreme heat, and worsening storms. When our County Commission refused to act, our community showed up to create a comprehensive plan. We know that for Floridians to have any shot at a liveable, affordable future, we must phase out costly fossil fuels, invest in energy efficiency, and address the growing energy burden. But this work must go beyond Hillsborough. This is a ripple that must be felt statewide. We are sending a clear message — it is local and state elected officials’ duty to protect us against greedy utility corporations and the worst impacts of climate change.”

Groups’ calls for local action come as utility corporations continue to deepen their reliance on costly, volatile and dirty fossil fuels. During their latest rate hike request, Tampa Electric Company (TECO) proposed and gained approval to expand their fossil fuel infrastructure, including a new fracked gas plant at MacDill. Despite requests to intervene in the rate case, Hillsborough County Commission remained silent on the issue and did not intervene on behalf of itself and residents. 84% of TECO’s customer base lives in Hillsborough County.

“We need to act now to ensure that no one has to make the impossible choice between basic necessities. Affordable energy shouldn’t be a luxury—it’s a right. We must push for policies that protect our most vulnerable communities, invest in sustainable and renewable energy solutions, and hold corporations accountable for price gouging,” said Florida Student Power Climate Justice Organizer Alyssa White. “Our families, our students, and our communities deserve better. We’re calling on the county commissioners to listen to the people they serve, to prioritize the needs of struggling families over corporate greed, and to take some real action. Our communities can not afford to wait any longer.”

“Is not the shock of our high energy burden during our increased periods of extreme heat enough to move our elected officials to give a ‘hoot’ and discuss remedies?” said David Sinclair, President, LULAC Council 7259.

“Simply put, our elected officials are not hearing us or acting on our behalf. We have been asking for help against these sky-rocketing electricity bills for two years. The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, chaired by Ken Hagan, couldn’t even be bothered to intervene in the TECO rate case on our behalf. That is the bare minimum: show up for your residents and fight! People in Hillsborough county cannot afford these bills nor TECO’s greed anymore,” said Calista Snider, Tampa Democratic Socialists of America Chapter Organizer. “It is past time for an affordable energy plan. Affordable Energy is clean energy! TECO’s fossil-fuel energy is costing us too much, in terms of our planet and our wallets. Our elected officials have ignored us, but it’s time to act!

“Thanks to the significant drop in solar costs in recent years, solar energy is now cost-competitive with fossil fuels like methane gas, the source of 80% of Florida’s energy,” said Rene Garcia, Policy and Advocacy Intern, genCLEO. “The transition to clean, renewable energy isn’t just critical for future generations; it’s also a financial necessity for Hillsborough County residents, who remain vulnerable to TECO’s rate hikes. County commissioners must step up as bold climate leaders to support this transition and ensure a more affordable, resilient future for their constituents.”“Sierra Club has long been an advocate for the adoption of climate resiliency plans by local and global governmental organizations. In comparison to the 2023 release of Pinellas County’s own ‘Resilient Action Plan’, the Sierra Club Tampa Bay Group recognizes that Hillsborough is due to assemble and adopt its own climate resiliency plan to allow for actions to mitigate the damaging effects of climate change,” said Todd Randolph, Sierra Club Tampa Bay Group. “The 2024 storm season made it clear that we cannot continue business as usual – now is the time for the county to pave a path to a sustainable and secure future in the Tampa Bay Region.”