Latest news with #VickieCavey
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Need to be prepared for a devastating storm,' JEA, city of Jacksonville hold 3-day hurricane drill
For the next 72 hours, JEA, the city of Jacksonville, and statewide first responders are acting as if their fears have become real: a direct hit from a major storm. This year, JEA said it's revving up the storm response and emergency management training it has been doing with the city for the last 14 years. The utility said it's training to respond to an even more intense storm, as the First Alert Weather Team has already predicted a busy hurricane season. 'The National Weather Service of Jacksonville has produced a really good storm scenario for us,' Adam Pendley, JEA's manager of emergency preparedness, said. 'It involves a category two or potentially higher storm, which Jacksonville has not experienced a sense of since before the turn of the century.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Action News Jax went inside JEA's emergency operations center for the first of the three day hurricane response training. Inside, JEA teams briefed on the possibility areas of Duval County could see a week or longer without power or water that would take potentially multiple days of restoration efforts to remedy. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] There have been no hurricanes yet this year, but part of the training for JEA is acting like there's one already on the way. 'These three days are kind of like our spring training,' Vickie Cavey, JEA's CEO, said. 'Everyone is in there acting as if they are in the storm, it's a go live kind of event.' The First Alert Weather Team said NOAA is predicting anywhere from six to ten hurricanes this year, but it only takes one to be a memorable season. Hurricane season goes through November 30, you can find ways to prepare from our First Alert meteorologists by clicking here. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JEA board votes to increase rates
The JEA Board of Directors voted Tuesday to approve a series of steep rate increases over the next two years, most notably targeting electric and customers who water their lawns. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Homes that use a separate potable (drinking) water meter for irrigation, will see a massive 50% increase per month that the utility says impacts about 33,000 customers. The utility is also proposing a combined increase for all customers for electric and water usage of $16.03 per month - $4.61 in 2025 and $11.42 in 2026 for approximately 500,000 households. Electric bills could increase even more because JEA's electric usage estimate of 1000 kWh per month is less than the actual average of 1060 kWh per household to go along with a new more expensive second tier for electric. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Finally, the utility is narrowing monthly Tier 1 irrigation usage from up to 14,000 gallons to 7,000 gallons which will likely push customers into more expensive Tier 2 rates. The utility says it is raising rates in part because of its multi-billion dollar two-decade commitment to buy electricity from Plant Vogtle in Georgia which has become a burden to the utility and ratepayers which current CEO Vickie Cavey appeared to have played a role.[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JEA electric and irrigation customers face steep rate hikes
The JEA Board of Directors will vote Tuesday on a series of steep rate increases over the next two years, most notably targeting electric and customers who water their lawns. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Homes that use potable (drinking) water for irrigation, will see a massive 50% increase per month that the utility says impacts about 33,000 of its approximate 500,000 customers. The utility is also proposing a combined increase for all customers for electric and water usage of $16.03 per month - $4.61 in 2025 and $11.42 in 2026. Electric bills could increase even more because JEA's electric usage estimate of 1000 kWh per month is less than the actual average of 1060 kWh per household to go along with a new more expensive second tier for electric. Finally, the utility is narrowing Tier 1 irrigation usage from up to 14,000 gallons to 7,000 gallons, which will likely push customers into more expensive Tier 2 rates. The utility says it is raising rates in part because of its multi-billion dollar two-decade commitment to buy electricity from Plant Vogtle in Georgia which has become a burden to the utility and ratepayers which current CEO Vickie Cavey appeared to have played a role. Action News Jax Ben Becker first reported in 2024, Cavey's resume from 2001-2012 said she was 'responsible for negotiation and management of all power purchase agreements' for JEA, which suggests the inclusion of the Plant Vogtle contract that did not have a cap to hedge against various market forces. The project turned out to be seven years behind schedule and will cost JEA customers approximately $5 billion. Cavey's hiring as interim CEO in April 2024 led to an Office of Inspector General Investigation regarding possible Sunshine Law violations by the board which the State Attorney's office later determined there was no criminal conduct although the whistleblower told Becker it was a 'B.S. cover-up job.' In February, Cavey received a raise to $700,000 per year after becoming the full-time CEO. Under Cavey, the utility has agreed to increase its yearly contribution to the City of Jacksonville by more than $120 million over the next five years as well as pick up $32.5 million of the costs to raise power lines over the St. Johns River to help JAXPORT attract larger ships – both moves that received push back from former CEO Jay Stowe before he resigned under pressure [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
