IN 1990
RS STOME U C C ECTRI ERS 1 EL 5 4 , 7 USTOM 1 C 1 R E T 4 WA 98,59 YEES TED EMPLO ENERA G 9 H 6 W 1,0 ON M S OF MILLI ALLON 4.8 G N O BILLI UMPED 28.4 WATER P
CHAPTER V:
U P S
A N D
1990 which later became Universal Orlando® Resort. • PROUD Community Volunteer program launches. • Sky Lake Water Plant opens.
Original Lake
• Stanton Energy Center
Ivanhoe Plant
Unit 2 comes online.
reborn as the Dr. Phillips
• Gold Ring Home
Performing Arts Center.
program begins.
1997
• OUC and
St. Cloud enter 25-year • Southwest Water Plant opens. on first
drinking water. • SEC A goes commercial.
“The Greenest
and the turbulence made forecasting and planning a challenge, to say the
add more than 1,000 MW of generation. To meet the needs of OUC’s
least. High points — including the opening of Universal Studios® Florida, and
expanding customer base, two operations facilities — the Pershing and
a boom in residential and commercial construction — were followed by
Gardenia Centers — were opened along with Reliable Plaza, a new customer
precipitous lows: back-to-back-to-back hurricanes, terrorist attacks on our
service and administration building. OUC also focused on the region’s water
nation, the bursting of the real-estate bubble and severe
needs with Water Project 2000, which was designed to
economic recession. But, through it all, one thing was
upgrade and expand potable water systems by treating
certain: OUC’s strong financial foundation and steady
drinking water with ozone. By the turn of the century,
hand allowed the utility to live up to its name.
OUC had taken proactive steps to prepare for
Although economic conditions at home and the Persian
competition, launching new profit centers such as
Building in Downtown
Gulf crisis abroad clouded the dawn of the 1990s, long-term
Orlando,” opens.
projections for Metro Orlando remained bright with the promise of continued
OUCooling and OUConvenient Lighting. In 1998, the utility celebrated its 75th anniversary — formalizing a
growth. The region was often in the national spotlight, cited by numerous
commitment to provide the highest level of service to customers by making
publications for having an excellent climate for business. As the decade
reliability part of its name. Orlando Utilities Commission became OUC —
progressed and the economy rebounded, advances in telecommunications
The Reliable One. That mantra has become a compass that not only guides
and computer networking marked the advent of the “dot.com” era —
operational decisions, but also reinforces OUC’s pledge to keep the power
and deregulation of the utility industry loomed.
on and the water flowing . . . even in the face of Mother Nature’s most severe threats.
Orange County Convention Center.
• OUC begins burning methane gas from Orange
water plant.
County landfill.
Indian River steam units sold.
to support a booming population and diversify its portfolio, the utility would
switch on a 1-MW solar array at
The Reliable One.
chilled
1999
In 1990, OUC added its largest customer, Universal Studios® Florida,
OUC would power. Central Florida was particularly affected —
OUC and Orange County flip the
• OUC becomes
T H R O U G H E V E R – C H A N G I N G T I M E S, O U C R E M A I N S “T H E R E L I A B L E O N E”
AWWA Award for best
2009
75 anniversary.
2010 • SEC B comes
2000
online in February.
OUConvenient Lighting
• POWER and
and OUConsumption
Green Neighborhood programs begin.
launch.
Page 38
1990 –2010
which later became Universal Orlando® Resort. Over the next two decades,
Central Florida.
th
1970 –1989
and downs and twists and turns that rivaled the roller coasters
Reliable Plaza,
Consumptive Use Permit.
1950 –1969
receives
• Three hurricanes hit • OUC gets 20-year
1923 –1949
rom 1990 to 2010, the economy experienced a period of ups
2008
• OUC celebrates
• OUC begins construction
• OUC
2004
1998
Interlocal Agreement.
2003
OUC receives “Outstanding Distribution Award and Water Conservation Award for Excellence” from AWWA.
Universal Studios® Florida,
1996
1875 –1922
2002
• OUC adds its largest customer,
1992
D O W N S
Page 39