TAMPA ELECTRIC IS COMMITTED TO RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE POWER FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA

TAMPA ELECTRIC IS COMMITTED TO RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE POWER FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA

By Archie Collins, President & CEO, Tampa Electric

Tampa Electric has served West Central Florida since 1899. Our team of more than 2,500 employees live here, raise families here, volunteer here and serve the communities we share with our customers. We know what customers expect from us: reliable power, affordable bills, responsible planning and honest answers.

Recent commentary in the Tampa Bay Times has raised questions about our costs and the choices utilities make. We welcome that conversation, and we believe it's important to provide additional context about what drives bills, how we work to manage costs and the investments needed to provide reliable power for a growing region.

The facts matter. With the storm recovery charge now ended, Tampa Electric’s residential rates are down 11 percent to 12 percent. Our rates are now about 20 percent below the U.S. average for residential electricity, while our system continues to deliver best-in-class reliability. We have undergrounded approximately 55 percent of the power lines that deliver electricity to homes and businesses, helping strengthen service, particularly during severe weather.

Keeping costs as low as possible while delivering reliable service is central to our responsibility to customers. That means managing the pressures of inflation, severe weather, population growth and supply-chain constraints while continuing to invest in the system our customers depend on.

At Tampa Electric, we know customers expect reliable power every hour of every day. They expect the lights to come on when they flip the switch and the air conditioner to keep running when it is 100 degrees outside. That's why we continually invest in keeping the system strong, delivering 99.98 percent service reliability to our 870,000 customers, with 76 percent shorter outages, 32 percent fewer outages and 24 percent fewer power flickers since 2021.

We also know energy costs matter to our customers, and we are taking action to help. This summer, Tampa Electric paused disconnections for nonpayment and committed millions of dollars in shareholder-funded assistance for customers in need. We also continue to offer programs that help customers lower and manage their bills.

While we cannot control every external pressure on our business, we can carefully manage our costs and make disciplined investments that customers will depend on for decades.

Fuel costs, for example, are passed directly to customers with no markup and no profit. We work to keep them down by operating our power plants efficiently and by buying power from other providers when it costs less than generating it ourselves. We also make long-term energy investments with cost and reliability in mind. Solar is a good example. You may be surprised to learn that

Tampa Electric has more than 1,250 megawatts of solar capacity – enough to power the equivalent of more than 215,000 homes and representing roughly 14 percent of our total power generation. Those investments have saved our customers approximately $430 million in fuel costs since 2017.

Solar is an important part of our electric system. But simply adding more solar ignores two basic realities: customers need power around the clock, and every investment ultimately affects what they pay. Solar technology requires significant land and infrastructure, and it cannot generate electricity when the sun isn’t shining. That is why a balanced mix of resources is essential.

Natural gas provides reliable power generation when solar is unavailable or customers’ electric demand is highest. Our 2023 modernization of Big Bend Power Station demonstrates the value of that approach, providing reliable natural gas-fueled generation while saving customers an estimated $700 million over the life of the project. The responsible choice is not one resource over another. It is the right mix of resources to deliver reliable power at the lowest reasonable cost over the long term.

The facts around storm recovery costs are also important to understand. The storm recovery charge was approved to recover the costs of restoring power following the 2024 hurricanes. Those authorized costs were recovered sooner than projected, so the charge ended in August, one month early. Now, at the same level of electricity use, residential customers are paying 11 percent to 12 percent less than they otherwise would have paid.

That matters during an extremely hot summer. Air conditioners are running longer, which means customers are using more electricity. Higher usage may make the removal of the storm charge less noticeable in the total bill for now, but customers are receiving the savings. The difference should become more apparent as temperatures and electricity use decline this fall.

We understand that does not lessen the challenge for customers struggling with high summer bills. The suggestion that Tampa Electric does not care about those customers doesn't reflect who we are or the role we've played in this community for more than 125 years. We take seriously our responsibility to help customers who are struggling and to provide practical ways to manage and reduce their energy costs.

We contributed millions in shareholder funds to our Share program for direct bill assistance and have pledged additional dollars to help customers in need. We also offer Budget Billing and flexible payment arrangements to help customers manage their bills. Customers can also take advantage of free energy audits and other programs designed to help them use less energy and lower their costs. For example, Prime Time Plus allows customers to earn automatic monthly bill credits and includes a smart thermostat to help them further boost their savings.

Our sense of responsibility extends beyond the support and service we provide every day. Tampa Electric and our employees support organizations and causes throughout West Central Florida, contributing both time and resources to the communities we call home. In 2025 alone, we contributed millions in shareholder funds to community initiatives, and our employees dedicated more than 30,000 volunteer hours to local nonprofits, schools and community organizations. We also own and operate the Manatee Viewing Center and intentionally keep it free of charge, providing families, students and visitors with access to an important educational and environmental resource in our region.

For us, serving West Central Florida means more than providing electricity. It means being accountable to our customers, helping when times are difficult and continuing to earn the trust of the communities we serve.

We know there is always more work to do. We will keep listening, improving and finding ways to better serve our customers and the places we call home.

Together, we’ve weathered hurricanes, heat waves, economic downturns and tremendous growth. As West Central Florida continues to grow and change, Tampa Electric’s commitment will not: We will provide reliable power, manage costs responsibly, support customers in need and continue investing in the region we are proud to call home.

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