Tampa, FL — Tonight, roughly 80 people joined the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition for an expert press conference and community workshop on solutions to the widely and deeply felt skyrocketing electricity costs and climate crisis. Community members came together in discussion groups to move on an Affordable Energy & Climate Plan for Hillsborough County.

Food & Water Watch Senior Organizer Brooke Ward, an organizer of Tuesday’s event, said:

“Hillsborough County residents want affordable, clean energy. And as tonight’s event showed, we are ready to get to work enacting solutions. Tonight, neighbors came together to share the burden of skyrocketing electricity costs and the anxiety of the climate crisis; and to design a better vision for our future. Together, we are united in demanding our Hillsborough County Commissioners pass an Affordable Energy & Climate Plan.”

Specific solutions discussed Tuesday night include:

• Energy Efficiency & Weatherization
• Renewable Energy & Solar Expansion
• Sustainable Communities

As Hillsborough County residents experience skyrocketing electricity bills, groups have been pushing the County Commission for passage of an Affordable Energy & Climate Plan to mitigate energy use, promote access to programming and reduce reliance on dirty fracked gas, the volatile cost of which is responsible for a significant share of rising costs. All members of the Hillsborough County Commission were invited to attend.

City of Tampa Sustainability Coordinator Kayla Caselli, among the speakers Tuesday night, said: “The City of Tampa is committed to connecting residents with resources to increase energy efficiency and access to renewable energy solutions.”

If approved, TECO’s latest rate hike would make the average residential customer pay over $200 more a year, starting in January — an increase that amounts to 62 percent ($61/month) more than six years ago. TECO also expects fuel costs to increase 35 percent over the next three years. Meanwhile, one in five Tampa households — almost 250,000 — are energy burdened, meaning they spend more than six percent of their income on energy bills, cutting into costs for other necessities.

Florida Rising Climate Justice Director MacKenzie Marcelin said: “With extreme heat days rising, a healthy, habitable, and cool home is even more critical for our everyday lives. High electricity costs and the affordability crisis in Florida leave communities suffering on multiple levels, including finances, public health and community safety. This is why these events are important because the community, especially our most vulnerable, needs to be at the forefront of the table and our voices are heard regarding solutions for our energy problem so that we are accounted for and able to reap the rewards from a clean and affordable energy system.” 

Calista Snider, biologist and environmental justice advocate with the Tampa Democratic Socialists of America said: “As the EcoSocialist working group for the Tampa Democratic socialists, it should come as no surprise that we are deeply concerned with the state of our beautiful environment and how sustainability keeps getting pushed aside for corporate interests. We also want to fight for working class people in our community, and know that the corporate interests of TECO do not align with working class needs nor environmental concerns. The Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition perfectly aligns with these two concerns, and so as an organization, it was important for us to join in this worthy fight!”

League of Women Voters spokesperson Stephen Kauffman said: “The League of Women Voters of Hillsborough and Pasco Counties is committed to democratic ideals and the empowerment of all citizens to exercise their freedom to vote. Energy costs are too high and the refusal of energy producers like TECO to embrace renewable energy sources threatens the environment. We stand with the Affordable Energy Coalition in its fight to assure that all voices are heard. As partners in the fight for affordable energy, we encourage voters to contact their County Commissioner demanding the Commission pass an affordable energy plan.”

Central Florida Jobs with Justice Tampa Organizer Brittany Panton said: “Why must the residents of Hillsborough County beg for affordable energy over and over again? Why are the families in Hillsborough County struggling to pay their skyrocketing light bills, to keep food on the table and to purchase necessary medications? The community wants an affordable energy plan and they want it NOW. The only way we can make a change is if we stand united together to build power for working families and our communities.”

David Sinclair, President, LULAC Council 7259 said: “The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) supports efforts by persons seeking a voice in public discourse, particularly when justice is being sought in struggles for economic justice for marginalized populations. The effort of the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition is a brave one, and is at present seeking dialogue with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to begin constructive work on a county-wide plan to invest in energy efficiency and provide incentives to help all residents make the transition to a cleaner, more affordable energy future. LULAC believes that the BOCC should avail itself of this unique opportunity to work together with those county residents most affected by the heavy energy burdens of today.”

Walter Smith, Sierra Club Tampa Bay Organizing Representative Beyond Coal Campaign said: “Time and time again we have provided opportunities for TECO to really function in a way that demonstrates that the voices of people impacted by their bad environmental practices have not fallen upon deaf ears. As we continue the fight against rate increases during one of the hottest summers in recorded history, clearly, they have not been listening. The fact is TECO is out of touch with the realities of underserved frontline communities that face severe life altering and threatening consequences resulting from TECO’s unwillingness to move towards more sustainable energy sources. The County Commission can make a great difference by defending the people they are charged with protecting by passing an affordable energy plan. Such a plan being implemented would be a resounding and positive move in favor of the numbers of communities most impacted.”

Photos will be available here.