If you live in Florida, you probably hear the names of the bigger electric providers, like Florida Power & Light (FPL), regularly.
Although the smaller electric utilities are lesser known, many of them are experiencing notable growth and facing many of the same opportunities and challenges of their larger counterparts.
Take, for instance, Ocala Electric Utility, with 57,709 customers. Ocala Electric has grown about 3% annually over the past two to three years compared with just 1% growth in the preceding years, according to Deputy Director Chad Lynch.
With that growth comes the chance to improve efficiency, expand infrastructure and invest in new technology. However, the utility has also encountered supply chain constraints, rising costs and workforce recruitment, Lynch explains.
Clay Electric, serving 15 counties in north Florida, has seen a 1.5% to 2% growth annually over the past couple of years, says Derick Thomas, chief public relations officer. As of early July, it had almost 197,400 customers. Still, “the substantial increases in material, equipment, and labor expenses make it more challenging to manage the cost of installing new infrastructure needed to support the growth,” he adds.
Hurricane damage is also a continual threat, says Ricky Davis, Clay Electric general manager and CEO, citing 2023’s Idalia, and Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024. “Our employees stepped up in a big way,” he says.
The city of Green Cove Springs currently serves about 4,608 customers and its population is expected to double over the next 15 years, says electric director Andy Yeager. One area its leaders are monitoring is renewable energy.
Although the city has a small number of solar customers or EV-related systems, leaders there continue to watch for trends that support future renewable growth, says Green Cove Springs Assistant City Manager Mike Null.
“Incentive programs and payback options can be difficult to navigate, and the financial returns don’t always meet customer expectations,” says Green Cove Springs City Manager Steve Kennedy.
Smaller electric providers in Northeast Florida also continue to explore how to best use artificial intelligence. Lynch says that Ocala Electric is still in early stages but anticipates AI helping to improve outage response, enhance system optimization and identify emerging trends.
Clay Electric has started to explore AI and create policy and practices to protect sensitive data while using it.
Green Cove Springs has started to use SmartMeters that track real-time usage data. “While we may not be leveraging AI to its full potential yet, tools like SmartMeters lay the groundwork for future advancements,” Null says.