LIVE (Cont.)
From the Desk of Commissioner
Maribel Gomez Cordero May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. As your Commissioner and a Counselor professionally, I want encourage you to take time this month to reach out to speak to someone about how you are feeling. This month we continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental health illnesses, and advocate for those around us that may feel alone in their fight.
The Crisis Text hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the U.S. The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who can provide support and information.
Help us spread the word through awareness, support and advocacy activities. Share awareness for #MHAM If you or someone you know has a throughout May. mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their I received the vaccination in April at mental health, there are ways to get the Orange County Convention Cenhelp. You can use these resources to ter and was able to witness the ease find help for you, a friend, or a family in which the Florida Department of member. Health in Orange County worked to serve our community. Orange CounMental Health Association of Central ty Government, in partnership with Florida MHACF has a free mental the Florida Department of Health, health information helpline in Orange are now operating a rotating, mobile County. They have trained volunteers vaccination site at different locations that can put you in touch with some- throughout the County. Visit ocfl.net one who can help. They also provide to find locations for this mobile site. support to residents in Lake County, Osceola County and Seminole Coun- As always, if you have any questions ty. (407)898-0110 Crisis Text Line. Text or concerns, you can email me at dis“HELLO” to 741741. trict4@ocfl.net or call my office at 407836-5881.
OUC Named “Environmental Champion” for Fourth Consecutive Year Escalent’s list recognizes utilities in honor of Earth Day
OUC – The Reliable One has been named a 2021 Environmental Champion in Escalent’s Utility Trusted Brand and Customer Engagement study for the fourth year in a row. OUC is one of 31 utilities nationwide to receive the honor. Environmental Champions are selected based on survey results from utility customers who rate their energy providers on sustainability stewardship in their business operations, energy efficiency programs and service to their customers. “As we celebrate Earth Month, OUC is proud that our customers recognize our long-standing commitment to sustainability and energy innovation,” said Clint Bullock, OUC’s General Manager & CEO. “This honor is particularly notable this year as we made significant strides toward our goal of Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. From announcing we would convert our coal plants to natural gas, adding more solar energy, and introducing
multiple electric vehicle initiatives, the past 12 months have been transformational, and it’s only the beginning as we work toward a more sustainable future.” OUC has undertaken several environmental initiatives including: • Announcing a goal to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as interim targets of 50% carbon emissions reduction by 2030 and 75% by 2040. To meet this goal, in October 2020, OUC announced plans to convert its coal units to natural gas. • Increasing utility-scale solar capacity dramatically, adding 108.5 megawatts of solar energy at two new solar farms last summer, and recently announcing two additional solar farms that will provide another 149 megawatts when they come online in 2023. Combined, that’s more than 270 megawatts of solar through utility scale and OUCommunity
solar programs. Additionally, to encourage more customers to subscribe to solar, OUC’s board recently approved a reduced community solar farm rate from 6 cents to 4.5 cents, effective July 1, 2021. The lower rate would save about $180 per year for a community solar customer using 12,000 Kilowatt-hour (kWh) annually. • Expanding investment and infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) through a $45 million commitment to innovative electrification programs, including support for eBuses, dealership programs, charging hubs, and additional EV charging stations, bringing OUC’s total installed charging stations to 300 – maintaining Orlando’s position as one of the Top 10 most EV-ready cities in the nation. • Continuing the utility’s commitment to energy efficiency by meeting its goal to achieve 1% of savings of retail sales in 2020. That com-
mitment will only grow in 2021, as OUC has committed to a $30 million investment in efficiency and conservation efforts by 2030, including even more enhancements to low-income programs and technology solutions, as well as a conservation goal of 1% of retail sales for 2021. To determine Environmental Champions, Escalent conducted surveys among residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 140 largest U.S. utility companies over the last 12 months and scored the utilities on an Environmental Dedication index. Those scoring high enough on the index have been named Environmental Champions. The findings of the 2021 Utility Trusted Brand and Customer Engagement study can be viewed here.
