CLEAN AIR—Florida PIRG Field Director Holly Binns speaks about the health dangers of coal plants and is joined by asthma doctor Ronald Saff, pediatrician Judy St. Petery and the Rev. Brant Copeland, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee.

This fall, Florida PIRG worked with a broad coalition of local activists, medical experts, environmental allies and local elected officials to win an important victory against the state’s largest utility, Florida Power & Light.

On Nov. 7, the St. Lucie County Commission unanimously rejected a proposal to build a massive pulverized coal plant. FP&L aggressively lobbied for the plant’s construction, but local residents and health experts opposed it.

“This was a victory for public health and quality of life in south Florida,” said Holly Binns, Florida PIRG field director. The vote came after an intense 11 hour public hearing attended by over 400 local residents.

Unfortunately, a similar fight to defeat construction of a new coal plant didn’t fair as well in north Florida. After an unprecedented public relations effort conducted by city officials, Tallahassee residents voted to allow the City of Tallahassee to partner in the North Florida Power Project, which plans to build a coal-fired power plant in Taylor County.

Florida PIRG opposed the plant, due to the increased mercury, global warming, smog and soot pollution that would degrade quality of life in the Big Bend region. “Florida PIRG will work to ensure that if the plant is built, it will utilize the best pollution control technology,” said Binns.

As Florida continues its rapid growth, Floridians can expect to see a number of new coal plants proposed in all areas of the state. Recently, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection released an energy plan that calls for increasing incentives for solar power and efficient appliances, but also recommends speeding up the permitting process for new coal and nuclear power plants. Florida PIRG is advocating solutions that could put Florida on the path to a cleaner energy future.

Florida PIRG research shows that a shift to clean energy and better efficiency and conservation would create twice as many jobs and save consumers far more money than continuing our dependence on oil, coal, and nuclear power.

Florida PIRG will play a central role in the state’s energy debate and will advocate reforming the Public Service Commission, increasing investment in solar and energy-efficiency programs, and ensuring that citizens and local governments have a say in whether new plants are built near their communities.