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CONNECTIONSNews and Information from OUC—The Reliable One | NOVEMBER 2021

Find energy-saving Thanksgiving tips at

oucblog.com

NNECTOU

A cleaner, greener energy future is closer than you may think. OUC is investing $420 million in solar energy, and we’re on track to generate 270.5 megawatts of solar power by late 2023. That’s enough energy for 50,000 of our customers’ homes! We’ve also committed more than $90 million to energy storage and $45 million to transportation electrification programs, with these investments and our solar plans being essential to meeting our pledge to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Until then, we’re reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2040 compared with 2005 levels.

While solar energy is the most practical and affordable renewable resource for OUC to harness, it is not always reliable due to cloud cover and darkness. That’s why we are preparing backup generation solutions that will immediately

respond to fluctuations in solar power. Recently, OUC purchased a 510-megawatt single-cycle natural gas-fired power plant located in Osceola County. This facility has three independently run

quick-start and -stop turbines called “peakers,” which we’ll use to mitigate gaps in solar

generation. Being able to start and stop turbines in a few minutes will yield fuel savings and fewer carbon emissions.

The purchase of this plant also allows us to retire Stanton Energy Center’s Unit 1

coal plant by 2025, instead of converting it to natural gas. The conversion and

operation of Unit 1 until 2040, when it originally was slated to retire, amounted to a greater cost than the purchase and upgrade of the Osceola plant, making the acquisition a better deal for our customers.

(top photo) Harmony Solar Farm(right photo) Osceola Generation Station

OUR FUTURE KEEPS GETTING

GREENER

ORLANDO UTIL IT IES COMMISSIONRELIABLE PLAZA • 100 W. Anderson Street • Orlando, FL 32801 Tel: 407-423-9018 • ouc.com

Para ver esta edición de OUConexión, por favor vaya en línea a espanol.ouc.com.

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SAVE ON HOME EFFICIENCY UPGRADES WITH REBATES FROM OUC

Learn more about H2OUC via the 2020 OUC Water Quality Report at OUC.com/wqr2020. The report contains important information about the source and quality of your drinking water. To request a printed copy of the 2020 Water Quality Report,

call 407-423-9018 or visit OUC.com/wqrrequest.Para conocer más en español sobre el Reporte Anual de Calidad de Agua 2020, llámanos al 407-423-9018.

2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT — ONLINE

• Heat Pump A/C Upgrade Newer A/C units are more efficient and use less energy than older models.

• Ceiling Insulation Upgrade Adding insulation to your attic can help lower your energy costs and keep you cool all year.

• ENERGY STAR Water Heater Upgrade An ENERGY STAR Heat Pump Water Heater can cut water heating by more than half.

• Smart Irrigation Controller Save on water costs with a smart controller that acts like a thermostat for your sprinkler system.

• Ultra-Low Flow Toilet Toilets account for nearly 30% of a home’s water usage.

Learn more at OUC.com/rebates.

• Stay as far away as possible and immediately call 9-1-1.

• If a line touches your vehicle, stay inside the vehicle, call 9-1-1 and only exit when safety officials say it’s safe to do so.

• NEVER drive over a downed power line. Tires will not protect you against an energized line.

• NEVER touch or move a line yourself. Only authorized utility workers should do so.

Visit OUC.com/safety for a downed powerline safety video.

DOWNED POWER LINE SAFETY TIPS

Track Shack presents the 45th OUC Orlando Half Marathon and Lake Eola 5k on Saturday, December 4. As the title sponsor, OUC has served great-tasting H2OUC to runners and walkers along the route since 1999. Orlando’s hometown race features a scenic route, cheering fans and a lakeside post-race party.

Run for yourself AND your community! Your participation supports local kids through the Track Shack Youth Foundation!

RUN A RACE IN YOUR HOMETOWN!

Sign up TODAY to run, walk, or cheer at the OUC Orlando Half Marathon and Lake Eola 5K. For more info run to OrlandoHalfMarathon.com!

Event Date: Saturday, December 4, 2021 Location: Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando Register: OrlandoHalfMarathon.com

Register now to receive an OUC Customer discount! $10 off – Half Marathon (13.1 miles) Use code: RunOUC21 $5 off – 5k (3.1 miles): Use code: RUNLE21