AEIC Member Spotlight: Tampa Electric
Since its founding by Thomas Edison in 1885, AEIC’s members have established a legacy of industry leadership, from invention and construction of the early electric grid to today’s innovative approaches to grid modernization and a cleaner, low-carbon future.
In 1887, Tampa Electric (TECO) installed downtown Tampa’s first electric streetlight. Crowds gathered in awe, and newspapers reported on the “light show.” More than one hundred thirty-five years later, Tampa Electric is continually working to improve system operations to benefit the customers and the community they serve.
Two recent Tampa Electric projects illustrate how AEIC’s members are leading the industry through operational innovation and grid modernization initiatives designed to provide cleaner, more efficient electric power now and in the future.
This past December, Tampa Electric completed a project that modernized its power plant at Big Bend in Apollo Beach. The project repowered Big Bend Unit 1 with state-of-the-art combined-cycle technology and eliminated coal as that unit’s fuel. It is now Tampa Electric’s most efficient generator.
The modernized unit can produce one thousand ninety megawatts, or enough energy to power more than two hundred fifty thousand homes. The project is part of the company’s strategy to further reduce its carbon footprint and plays a significant role in changing the company’s fuel mix.