06/07/2026
ICYMI: "The U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday ordered the Orlando Utilities Commission, a municipal utility, to continue running its 465-MW, coal-fired Stanton Unit 1 instead of placing it in “cold shutdown” to address what the department deems to be an energy emergency in Florida.
As evidence of the emergency, DOE said the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s most recent long-term reliability report deemed Florida to be at “normal risk” for long-term energy adequacy. However, the report highlights that projections for resource and transmission growth in Florida lag what is needed to support new data centers and other large loads, DOE said in its 90-day emergency order.
OUC plans to fully comply with the order and will delay placing its Stanton Unit 1 in cold shutdown, Mike Codichini, a utility spokesman, said in an email. The utility didn’t respond to questions about how much it estimated it would cost to comply with the order or the status of coal stockpiles for the unit."
Although Florida is at “normal risk” for long-term energy adequacy, the unit near Orlando needs to remain online partly to help serve potential data centers in the state, the department said.
