OUC

If you are an Orlando Utilities Commission customer, be prepared to see an increase in your July energy bill.

TAVARES, Fla. — One person is dead and another was transported to the hospital with life-threatening gunshot wounds after a shooting at a Tavares apartment complex. Police responded Friday evening to Caroline Court Apartments, where the shooting happened. READ: Colonial High on lockdown due to anonymous tip about weapon on campusPolice are still investigating the active scene. Anyone who witnessed the shooting is asked to call 352-343-2101. READ: Motorcycle crash closes part of Fairbanks Avenue in Winter ParkThis is a developing story.

ORLANDO, Fla. — OUC and the city of Orlando announced Tuesday that they are increasing their commitment to renewables and clean energy with the announcement of their 2030 Solar Pledge. According to the city, the 2030 Solar Pledge asks businesses to pledge to use at least 10% solar energy upon signing and requires 100% solar energy for all business facilities by 2030. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<“The 2030 Solar Pledge guides businesses in investing for the future and is another step toward OUC’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” officials said in a statement. READ: ‘I have been totally taken advantage of’: The high cost of ‘free solar’Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the city has 52 facilities that are on solar energy including City Hall, all of its fire stations and the police headquarters. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

That forced the utility company to call on its water customers to cut back on their water usage immediately. READ: OUC asking water customers to start conserving water immediately: Here’s whyAccording to OUC, customers are definitely listening. OUC said they are optimistic and are still asking customers to conserve water usage for at least a few more weeks. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Water conservation tips Here are nine ways OUC says you can help conserve water. (WFTV.com News Staff)OUC is asking water customers to stop watering their lawns, washing their cars, and pressure washing.

OUC and Winter Park Utilities are still running short of the liquid oxygen it needs to treat its water supply to homes and businesses. The liquid oxygen is being used to help treat critically ill COVID-19 patients in our local hospitals, so suppliers are diverting their deliveries. Late Wednesday, Tampa Bay Water, told its customers, effective Thursday it would shift the water treatment process at its Lithia Hydrogen Sulfide Removal Facility due to a lack of liquid oxygen deliveries. OUC and Winter Park utilities are among 17 utilities in the state of Florida that utilize liquid oxygen in some form during its water treatment process. Typically, OUC receives about 10 deliveries of liquid oxygen each week, but for weeks it’s either missed deliveries or like this week only received three tanks.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — OUC is asking the community to limit irrigation immediately ,or the water quality could be impacted. For years, OUC has relied on liquid oxygen to help purify and clean its water. READ: OUC asking water customers to start conserving water immediately: Here’s whyLiquid oxygen is now in short supply. There are more coronavirus patients than ever in our hospitals who need that liquid oxygen, so that leaves OUC with a lot less liquid oxygen than they are used to. They typically get 10 trucks a week to treat water; they now get five to seven, and they’ve already used up about 50% of what they had saved.

WFTV Severe Weather Center 9 Fog lifting in the morning from Indian River (Sid Champagne/Sid Champagne)BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A child died Friday after a boating accident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. FWC said the accident happened in the Indian River area around 10:30 a.m.READ: OUC asking water customers to start conserving water immediately: Here’s whyInvestigators said the child and an adult were ejected into the water after their personal watercraft collided with a boat. FWC said the child was transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. READ: Mike Richards steps down as ‘Jeopardy!’ host after podcast comments resurfaceFWC said they are continuing to investigate the incident.

Hurricane season is in full swing now, and while it’s been fairly calm so far, last year was a different story.

Teaching water conservation through art is the goal of the Water Color Project.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A former OUC building that became home to several arts organizations over the years could soon be up for sale. On Friday, OUC will issue a request for proposals soliciting licensed real estate brokers to assist in determining the sales potential of its Ivanhoe building, located on North Orange Avenue. “OUC is determining the best use of our assets to ensure we’re meeting our commitment to provide value to the community we serve. The building was designate a historic landmark by the Orlando City Council in 1987. Following renovations in the 1980s, it was converted to an arts center in partnership with the Orlando Ballet and other performing arts organizations.

Hot weather often goes hand in hand with higher energy bills. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

click to enlarge Photo via OUCThe first Tiny Green Home has come to Central Florida in time for Orlando Science Center's Otronicon.The 162-square-foot building is an interactive display meant to educate residents on ways they can make their own homes more sustainable. The project will be housed at Loch Haven Park next to the Orlando Science Center, and open for free viewing throughout Otronicon, Feb. 12-15, and open to the public in March, according to a press release from Orlando Utilities Commission. "Guests of the Science Center will be able to visit the Tiny Green Home to get a hands-on experience with sustainability through interactive displays," Clint Bullock, OUC's general manager and CEO, said in a press release.The home features functioning solar panels on the roof, electric vehicle charging stations in the garage, apartment/condo-adaptable garden beds for vegetables, as well as information on ways residents can live sustainably. "Ideally, visitors will apply these lessons in their own lives, and make their own homes more sustainable and energy-efficient," Bullock said.In the emailed press release, OUC said they plan to deploy the mobile exhibits throughout the year.The tiny home was jointly funded by OUC and the City of Orlando, with help from Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Cities Climate Challenge. The home will be maintained by Orlando Science Center.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Thousands of runners are excited to be racing again during the first in-person marathon since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Two thousand runners participated in the OUC half marathon that raced its way through downtown Orlando Saturday morning. Thousands of runners race in OUC half marathonRunners wore masks before and after the race, but they didn’t have to wear face coverings while running. Betsy Hughes with Track Shack, which organized the race, said they also spaced out the groups and asked runners wait on orange dots for their turn. “I think they were able to still have the race which is awesome, and I think everybody is taking precautions,” Herndon said.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A lawsuit claiming contamination of residential properties from an Orlando Utilities Commission power plant has been dismissed, according to court records. The order to dismiss came at the request of attorneys representing the group of residents who filed the lawsuit. “From the outset, OUC has been confident that Plaintiffs’ claims were unsupported by any sound science and inconsistent with data reported by the Florida Department of Health. Plaintiffs’ request to dismiss this lawsuit with prejudice fully confirms that their claims had no merit.”[TRENDING: Safe to shop during pandemic? While the case has been dismissed, Bullock said attorneys with OUC are also working to vacate an earlier ruling they believe was incorrect.

“You really have to pair battery storage, we call it energy storage, with solar,” Ferrone explained. Ferrone said there is a lot of technology involved with solar energy and it continues to change. If you would like to know more about how OUC plans to achieve Net Zero CO2 Emissions by 2050, use the links below download this week’s episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate. Each week they have a guest host who helps give an irreverent look at the issues impacting the Sunshine State. Listen to the full episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate on iTunes here or on Sticher here.

ORLANDO, Fla. A dozen linemen from the Orlando Utilities Commission are heading to Lafayette, Louisiana to help thousands who lost power on Thursday from Hurricane Laura. "The main thing is to get these people back to some sort of normalcy," Barnes said. Barnes said he's helped restore power after several hurricanes in Florida and this mission will be the first time for some of his colleagues. Crews are making a stop in Mississippi Thursday night before they arrive in Louisiana on Friday. Its not clear when they will be returning home, but OUC spokesperson believes it could take a couple of weeks.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. OUC customers who are struggling to pay their power and water bill due to the coronavirus pandemic are invited to apply for financial relief. The company said that its board of commissioners met earlier this year and approved a $12.1 million customer relief package. Of that, $2.6 million was allocated to Project CARE to provide bill payment assistance. Since April, 24,000 customers have been helped through the program but as of Wednesday, $1.5 million remains available to those in need. We understand that these are unprecedented times with unexpected hardships, which is why were offering relief and payment plans to help our community, general manager and CEO Clint Bullock said.

ORLANDO, Fla. A fatal crash Monday morning has forced Orlando police to close a busy stretch of Colonial Drive. The wreck was reported at Hyer Avenue and Colonial Drive, which is closed from Mills Avenue to Summerlin Avenue. Orlando police said the traffic lights are out Mills Avenue from Amelia Street to Marks Street. We are asking citizens to find an alternate route at this time, police said in an email. Details about the crash have not been released.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Utility companies are resuming disconnections for non-payment as some people begin returning to work despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the rising number of cases in Florida. The Orlando Utility Commission will begin those cut offs on July 14. An OUC spokesperson said the company does not want to disconnect anyone and there is help available. A program through the United Way is also available and households can receive up to $500 over a year to help pay for utilities. Contact the United Way by phone by dialing 2-1-1, by texting your zip code to 898-211 or visiting the 211 website.

Service disconnections for non-payment resume July 13, 2020, and late fees will be reinstated August 3, OUC said. This includes financial support up to $500 through OUCs Project CARE. For more information on OUCs Project CARE click or tap here. OUC is asking neighbors to help neighbors by donating to Project CARE. Click on Project CARE and select the blue Enroll in Project CARE button, OUC said.

click to enlarge Photo via OUCRestoring electricity after hurricanes this year would have added costs because of coronavirus physical-distancing requirements, utility officials told the Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday.Plans are underway to establish more staging areas to reduce crowds of relief workers, shift to single-serve packaging of food and revamp sleeping arrangements for restoration crews working remotely, as utilities look to prevent the spread of the virus.Jason Cutliffe, Duke Energy Florida general manager of emergency preparedness, said part of the companys changes were based on actions of first responders in New York, which has been one of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.Were looking at measures like reducing work crews to smaller numbers of six to 10, ensuring that they stay together for their eating arrangements, the showering arrangements, Talley said. In limiting the interaction of people on the staging site, if there is a positive test, the contact tracing is simpler and fewer people are affected.Asked directly by Commissioner Julie Brown if increased costs are expected in the restoration process, Florida Power & Light Senior Director of Emergency Preparedness Thomas Gwaltney replied, The quick answer is, yes maam.Part of the increase could come from having to draw additional internal support as assistance from utility crews in other states might not be as large as in past years.There are some areas within the country that some of the resources actually have additional rates that they have for dealing with a pandemic, so we're not sure if that's going to be incorporated as well, Gwaltney said. It really depends on, quite honestly, when a storm and what the environment is at that time and how, you know, what's going on, probably, within the state of Florida.No one said the changes would slow restoration efforts.Paul Talley, manager of Gulf Power's emergency-preparedness team, said companies have worked the past few months in putting together guidelines and processes around mutual assistance.In this new pandemic environment, these changes have the potential to change the way we respond and restore power following a major event, Talley said. Gulf continues to prepare and plan with FPL. There's a lot of great teamwork going on between the two companies right now to make sure that we have an effective plan in place if either one of us are impacted.Gulf and FPL are both part of NextEra Energy.With the six-month hurricane season starting June 1, the Public Service Commission held the workshop to receive an overview of a wide range of issues from the utilities.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Science Center and OUC are taking real-life STEM lessons on the road to Orange and Osceola County fifth graders. Project A.W.E.S.O.M.E. “Being able to collaborate and work on the 21st century skills is something we always try to push at the Science Center. OUC is the sponsor and primary founder of Project A.W.E.S.O.M.E. To learn more about programs at the Orlando Science Center, click here.