OUC Spreads Holiday Cheer Under the Sea

December 22, 2025

500 tons of concrete poles donated to create new marine habitat off Brevard County Coast

ORLANDO, Fla. – This holiday season, OUC — The Reliable One is delivering a special gift to Florida’s coastline. OUC is donating about 160 concrete pole sections to support a new artificial reef project led by the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department. Each pole weighs between 5,000 and 8,000 pounds – nearly 500 tons of “holiday cheer” headed underwater to help create vital habitat for marine life.

These concrete “gifts” will be placed at the permitted Brevard County Artificial Reef Site, about 15.5 nautical miles east of Port Canaveral in 80 to 85 feet of water. The project, currently known as the 2025 Brevard County Artificial Reef Project, will add a new patch reef to an area where nine other artificial reefs have been deployed since 2015.

OUC employees move the concrete poles into trucks for transportation

OUC is teaming up with several project partners including the Coastal Conservation Association, Central Florida Offshore Anglers, Florida Sport Fishing Association and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Once deployed, the reef will create new shelter, feeding and spawning areas for marine life, while giving local fishing, diving and coastal businesses a cheerful boost. A deployment date hasn’t been unwrapped yet.

For more information about OUC’s sustainability initiatives and community partnerships, visit OUC.com/Sustainability.

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About OUC—The Reliable One
For more than 100 years, OUC—The Reliable One has provided exceptional value to its customers and community through the delivery of sustainable and reliable services and solutions. The utility provides electric, water, chilled water, lighting and solar services to more than 400,000 accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. As OUC prepares for the next century, it remains committed to a goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 while supporting the Central Florida community with conservation, sustainability and energy efficiency resources. Visit www.ouc.com to learn more.

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