Residents call for cleaner, cheaper energy during community workshop

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Several Tampa residents gathered at a Hillsborough County library to discuss Tampa Electric’s proposed rate increases.  

Around 80 people gathered to share the impacts of electric bills they say are already too high. 

Community members shared their frustrations with TECO at a workshop hosted by the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition. 

Community members like Melvin Wright, who’s been in Tampa for 60 years.

“I mean, if they’re going to raise the rates- they’re not raising our income at all, so that’s going to be a hit on our income. And we’re retirees, so that’s going to be a double hit on us,” Wright said.

Food & Water Watch senior organizer Brooke Ward says the impacts of higher rates are wide-reaching. 

“The cost of our electricity, compounded with the cost of housing, of insurance, of food, of every single thing we need to survive, has made life quite unaffordable for a lot people.” Ward said.

She was joined by panelists including City of Tampa Sustainability Coordinator Kayla Caselli, Florida Rising Climate Director MacKenzie Marcellin, Civil/environmental engineer James Shirk and Biologist & environmental justice advocate Calista Snider.

Ward is pushing for the Hillsborough County Commission to adopt a plan to promote energy efficiency and do more to oppose TECO’s proposed rate hikes.

Brenda Wright called the electric bill prices “ridiculous”.

“It’s nothing that we’re doing now that we haven’t did when our bill was lower than that. And it’s just the two of us now.”

The energy company’s CEO Archie Collins defended the increases in Tallahassee last month, saying they are necessary.