Tampa Community Turns Out for Sierra Club’s ‘Power & Perspectives: The Energy Dialogue’

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TAMPA, Fla. — On Thursday, November 5, Sierra Club Florida and partner organizations hosted “Power & Perspectives: The Energy Dialogue,” a community town hall addressing TECO bill increases and the need for local utility accountability. Over 25 people attended the event featuring a panel of Sierra Club, Food & Water Watch, and Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition representatives, as well as a member of Tampa’s City Council and the city’s Sustainability & Resilience Officer.

TECO has recently boasted rate decreases, however, monthly bills for residential or small business customers using 1,000 kWh per month are still over $10 higher than in December 2024. While families contend with higher bills, the CEO of TECO made $2.5 million last year. The CEO of Emera, TECO’s parent company, made $9.5 million.

“Transparency shouldn’t be optional when families are forced to choose between keeping the lights on and buying groceries,” said Walter Smith II, Sierra Club’s Tampa Bay Organizing Representative. “We invited our neighbors, TECO reps, and environmental justice experts into the same room because the community deserves answers about their energy burdens and the various impacts of fossil fuels on our environment and health. This town hall is a critical first step toward demanding a just, affordable, and clean energy future for everyone in Tampa Bay.”

“Tampa residents have been struggling under the weight of skyrocketing electricity bills, all while Tampa Electric walks away with record profits year after year and passes the costs of fuel, storm recovery, and even its brand new Midtown headquarters onto ratepayers,” said Isabella Moeller, Florida Organizer for Food & Water. “But our community has had enough. TECO is a for-profit company beholden to shareholders only, that’s why we’re making a wide call to our local elected officials to hold TECO and its regulators accountable to the people they serve. Tampa City Council has an opportunity to pass an affordable energy resolution that commits the city to opposing TECO’s unjust rate hikes and supporting clean, affordable energy solutions. We must build on this momentum and ensure that affordable energy is a priority for every elected official in Tampa.”

Featured photo by Connor Scott McManus