Location
Polk Power Station occupies over 2,500 acres off of State Road 37 in Polk County, Florida. The station is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Tampa and about 60 miles southwest of Orlando.
Construction of the power station began in 1994 on a site selected by a public Power Plant Siting Task Force comprised of 17 citizens from environmental groups, businesses and universities in Tampa Electric’s service area. The task force’s objective was to ensure that local and statewide public issues and environmental concerns were adequately and accurately considered in selecting a suitable site for the plant.
Description
Polk Power Station has a generating capacity of more than 1,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity, or enough to power 480,000 homes. This is made possible by two units:
Unit 1: This award-winning unit turned coal into synthetic gas for nearly 30 years before it was retired at the end of 2024, ending the use of coal early. Tampa Electric is currently making state-of-the-art improvements to the combustion turbine with modernized controls, combustion and exhaust systems. These enhancements will not only save fuel costs for customers but also will make Unit 1 more agile, which will help the company respond faster to energy demand fluctuations. When completed in the summer of 2025, Unit 1 will be dual-fuel capable, to improve reliability and support a balanced fuel mix.
Unit 2: This is a four-on-one natural gas combined cycle unit constructed in 2017 by converting four simple cycle combustion turbines into a modern, efficient combined cycle facility. Two of the four combustion turbines are dual-fuel, using natural gas and ULSD (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel) oil. With this fuel flexibility, Tampa Electric provides customers with reliable and the most cost-effective power based on market demands.
Environment
Award-winning innovation and a win for customers, the environment and the community: The Polk Power Station Regional Reclaimed Water Partnership is all this and more. The project diverts reclaimed water from the cities of Lakeland and Mulberry and Polk County from going into local waterways, where it would add nitrogen to the environment - harming marine life. Instead, that water now goes to Tampa Electric's Polk Power Station, where it is purified and used in the process of generating reliable and cost-effective electricity. Read our Manatee Snacks and Water Hacks feature story to learn more about how this project benefits all living creatures – from humans to tiny crabs.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is another key partner in the project, which won the 2015 Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). The Edison is the highest honor bestowed by the EEI, which represents all U.S. investor-owned electric utilities.
The Polk Power Station Regional Reclaimed Water Partnership has also been honored by POWER magazine, winning the magazine's 2015 Water Award. In addition, in July 2015, the Tampa Bay Partnership awarded its Chair's Cup Award for Excellence in Regional Leadership to Tampa Electric for its role in the project.
