1970–1989 The dancing lights and waters of the fountain in Lake Eola became a symbol of Orlando’s renaissance in the 1980s. Originally gifted to the City by OUC, the fountain was out of operation for a decade, but came to life again in 1988, thanks to OUC and its maintenance division.
Record Cold Prompts OUC to Begin Plans for a Second SEC Unit Three days of sub-freezing temperatures
Nonetheless, the record-breaking cold
during December 1989 sent shivers down the
snap and the havoc it wreaked across the state
spines of many Floridians. Much of the state
prompted forward-thinking OUC to plan for
reeled under the effect of rolling blackouts and
the future and move ahead with building a
outages. OUC, however, weathered one of
second coal-fired unit at Stanton Energy
the biggest chills of the century with remarkably
Center. The unit was expected to cost
few hitches. During this frigid test of reliability,
$515 million and begin operation in 1996.
86 percent of OUC’s customers never
The goal was to replicate the first plant,
experienced any service interruptions.
which was considered one of the cleanest coal-burning plants in the nation.
Enclosed Substation Downtown Built in 1987, the Robinson Electrical Substation was OUC’s “urban solution to growth.” To keep up with the phenomenal building boom that occurred in the ‘80s, OUC constructed a high-capacity, three-story, gas-insulated substation. The substation utilized a small footprint with the majority of the equipment enclosed in an architecturally designed building — a first for Central Florida and only the second of its kind in the state.
Taking n Conservatio into the Classroom
For decades, OUC has offered a wide range
of programs designed to help customers of all ages use energy and water safely and wisely. During the 1980s, as part of its Educational Outreach Program, the utility took electric,
water and safety classroom presentations to as many as 5,000 students a year in Orange
County Public Schools. At left, OUC’s Joanne
(Wheeler) Silva and puppet “OUCH the Outlet” teamed up to teach youngsters at Richmond Heights Elementary about conservation.
Page 37