Energy efficiency and the development of new, alternative power sources are both essential - but inadequate to meet the needs of our growing state and population. To continue to meet our customers' need for safe, affordable and reliable power, we must also look at our options for building new generating plants.

Maintaining Florida's most diverse mix of power plant resources helps to ensure that electricity remains reliable and affordable, even when the price or availability of any single fuel source is affected by economics or weather. That fuel diversity will continue to be critical for Florida's future.

Type of plant: Natural Gas

• Natural Gas is clean, efficient.
• Plants are easy to build.
• Large price fluctuations and history of supply disruptions make these plants a more expensive option for large-scale, long-term power generation.

Type of plant: Coal

• Coal is readily available and more price-stable.
• Coal-fired plants can cause problematic emissions - though advances in technology are offsetting this. At Progress Energy, we're committed to providing power in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. We have recently installed some of the country's first "scrubbers" and other environmental retrofits - technology that significantly reduces emissions from coal-fired plants. 

Type of plant: Nuclear

• One of the most economical and clean fuel sources available today.
• Progress Energy has an excellent track record of operating nuclear plants safely and securely. In addition, today's state-of-the-art technology has greatly advanced the standard of nuclear safety.
• Nuclear energy helps to promote our nation's energy independence.