OUC Sells Indian River Plant Steam Units, Diversifying the Generation Portfolio Negotiating the sale of the Indian River
looming in the future, OUC analyzed its
Plant steam units in 1999 signaled an
power generation facilities and other assets
important new direction for OUC. By selling
to determine how best to use them over
the steam units, but continuing to purchase
the short and long terms.
their power, the facility generated additional
In response to feedback from commercial customers, OUConsumption Online was developed to satisfy the need for easy access to online energy load data.
OUC sold the Indian River steam units
cash to invest in newer, cleaner technology.
to Reliant Energy for $205 million in cash,
The transaction was the first in a series of
a four-year agreement to purchase power
strategic moves in an asset restructuring plan
from the facility and an additional four-year
that called for diversifying the utility’s power
power purchase option. OUC maintained
resource portfolio and investing in more
ownership of the four combustion turbines
modern facilities. With market deregulation
at the plant.
OUC CONVENIENT LIGHTING BEGINS OPERATION In the fall of 2000, OUC flipped the switch
lighting solutions, customers could keep their
established to provide complete outdoor
electric and maintenance costs down.
lighting services for a wide spectrum of
OUC Begins Generating Electricity from Landfill Gas
for a monthly service fee. With OUC’s efficient
on OUConvenient Lighting, a new division
As part of this new venture, the lighting
commercial applications —
division entered a 10-year
from industrial parks to
contract with the City of
sports complexes to
Orlando to provide
residential developments.
complete installation and
The division was a
maintenance of the Citrus
natural fit, pairing OUC’s
Bowl’s field lighting —
On April 1, 1998, the Stanton Energy
the landfill and piped to SEC where it is
The gas from the landfill produces close
reputation for reliability with area businesses’
replacing the stadium’s old lights with higher
Center (SEC) began burning landfill gas
co-fired with coal. In addition to helping
to 100,000 megawatt hours of reduced-
need to install and maintain street lights and
output, energy-efficient ones. The project
from the Orange County landfill. One
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
emissions power — offsetting about
exterior lighting on their properties. Under
increased the facility’s brightness and
44,000 tons of coal each year.
the program, OUC purchased, installed and
reduced energy costs, while using only half
maintained the lighting fixtures and lamps
as many fixtures.
of the largest and longest-running efforts
the landfill, the 12-MW green energy
of its kind in the state, the OUC Landfill
program displaces more than three
Looking to the future, OUC and Orange
Project is an economical renewable
percent of the fossil fuel required for
County have signed new agreements for
source of energy that is also reliable and
SEC Units 1 and 2, and provides enough
future landfill projects — expanding
sustainable. Methane gas is captured from
electricity every day for 10,000 homes.
capacity to 22 MW.
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