Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 9-16-16 Online Edition

Local
Tampa Electric Is
10th Anniversary Celebration
Kevin and Lynette Royal celebrated their 10th anniversary at the Wyndham Hotel on Har- bor Island. (Photos by Julia Jackson)
Moving Towards
Using Less Coal
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
More than half of the power produced in the United States is generated using coal.
Tampa Electric Company (TECO) is joining many other utility companies to use less coal. Cherie Jacobs, spokesperson for Tampa Electric/TECO Peoples Gas, said by January 2017, the utility company will have moved its usage to roughly 55% natural gas and 45% coal when the Polk Power Station expansion comes on line. Currently, the usage is 52% natural gas and 48% coal, up from the 50/50 for 2015.
“We are proud that we’ve spent over $1.2 billion to im- prove emissions of our power plant fleet,” she explained. “The Big Bend emissions have been reduced tremen- dously,” she added.
“We have reduced emis- sions of sulfur dioxide by 94%, nitrogen oxide by 91% and particular matter by
87%, from 1998 levels. The overall mercury emission has been reduced by more than 90%.”
The by-products are used for other products. For ex- ample, gypsum can be turned into drywall for con- struction, in agriculture as a soil nutrient or fertilizer.
Fly ash is collected in all 4 Big Bend Units and is used in the cement and concrete industries, Ms. Jacobs shared.
Slag has many reuses, in- cluding cement. It can be used to clean ships, storage tanks and other large metal surfaces.
“Our plant is one of the cleanest burning coal plants in the country,” she said.
Much of the change in coal/natural gas usage has been due to environmental regulations over time Ms. Jacobs stated.
Kevin and Lynette Royal celebrated their 10th anniversary.
Ross Kemp, Mary K., and Jessie Childs at the anniversary event.
Trinee Reeves and Barbara McRae attended the celebration.
Gloria Bailey And Reginald Felton Are Wed
Gloria Bailey and Reginald Felton exchanged vows on August 6, 2016 before family and friends at the Allen Temple AME Church. Pastor Gregory E. Green, Sr. officiated, and other members of the clergy assisted.
Program participants were: Aretha Hicks, mother of the groom; Jainiyiah Merrell, Jay- den Hobbs, Rev. Dr. David Green, Sr., Bishop Samuel Washington, Zuri and Zajah Green, Andre Marshall, Jenniya McKenzie, Kofi Hemmingway and Marcella Taylor. (Photos by Julia Jackson)
Mr. and Mrs. Reginald (Gloria Bailey) Felton.
Mrs. Felton with her bridesmaids: Edith Green, Betty Green and Akiesha Hemmingway.
The groom, Reginald Felton and his groomsmen: Ernest McClendon, Melvin Pesco and Ronald Felton.
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016