JEA

JEA, Inc.

Headquarters in the Northbank area of Downtown Jacksonville
Type	Public-benefit
Industry	Public Utility
Predecessor	City of Jacksonville Electric Department (electricity, prior to 1968) Department of Public Utilities (water and sewer, prior to 1997)
Founded	1968
Headquarters	Jacksonville, Florida USA
Key people	Paul McElroy, CEO & Managing Director James M. Chansler, COO
Products	Electric utility Drinking water Sewage treatment Chilled water Reclaimed water
Total assets	$7.5 billion (2010)
Total equity	$1.5 billion (2010)
Number of employees	2,000 approximate (2010)
Website	www.jea.com

JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority), located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility company in the United States and largest in Florida. As of 2009, JEA serves more than 417,000 electric customers, 305,000 water customers and 230,000 sewer customers. Besides Jacksonville (Duval County), JEA also has customers in Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

Jacksonville's water and sewer systems had been operated by the city since 1880, and an electric system since 1895. The electric system grew with the city, but remained a department of city government until an independent authority was created by the consolidation of city and county governments in 1968.

According to Article 21 of the Jacksonville City Charter,

"JEA is authorized to own, manage and operate a utilities system within and outside the City of Jacksonville. JEA is created for the express purpose of acquiring, constructing, operating, financing and otherwise have plenary authority with respect to electric, water, sewer, natural gas and such other utility systems as may be under its control now or in the future."

During the 1970s, JEA's electric rates were among the highest in the nation. There were reports of customers with electric bills higher than their mortgage payments.

Royce Lyles became JEA Managing Director on September 1, 1979 and the utility began diversifying its fuel mix. Rates began to drop, eventually becoming the lowest in the state and near the bottom in the Southeast.

Walt Bussells was appointed Managing Director on September 8, 1995, following Royce Lyles' retirement.

On June 1, 1997, Jacksonville's Department of Public Utilities, water and sewer operations merged into the Jacksonville Electric Authority.

Bussells embraced new technology and in 2002, JEA introduced online bill payment and implemented network meter reading. In 2003, the utility also began providing Chilled water for air conditioning in downtown buildings. The first two customers were the downtown library and the John Milton Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse. When the new Duval County Courthouse opens in 2012, it will use chilled water. Purchasing chilled water eliminates the need for chillers and cooling towers at each property, reducing capital outlays and eliminating ongoing maintenance costs. The space saved can also become rentable, increasing revenue.