The Florida Public Service Commission on Aug. 18 approved JEA’s need for additional power to support construction of the combined-cycle SJRPP 3 plant.
"This approval represents a significant milestone in the project development process, and the new plant remains on schedule to come online in 2031," the Florida public power utility said.
The 675-megawatt facility at the former St. Johns River Power Park site will help JEA meet Northeast Florida's growing energy needs with reliable power generation.
“This approval is a significant step forward in our commitment to providing Jacksonville residents with reliable, sustainable power for generations to come,” JEA Interim Managing Director and CEO Jody Brooks said.
In August 2025, the JEA Board of Directors approved the utility’s plans for a combined cycle plant.
Combined cycle power generation uses both gas and steam turbines to produce up to 50 percent more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple-cycle plant. This higher efficiency helps significantly reduce CO₂ emissions for every megawatt-hour of electricity generated.
A new combined cycle plant would replace and/or augment the electricity currently being produced by the 49-year-old Northside Generation Station Unit 3, a natural gas unit, improving system efficiency and reliability as load grows.
JEA has reduced its carbon emissions by 53 percent since 2007 with the closing of St. Johns River Power Park coal-fired plant and the decommissioning of Plant Scherer Unit 4 in Juliette, Ga. A combined cycle plant would help JEA continue to reduce its carbon footprint, it noted.
