JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third time in consecutive years, Site Selection magazine has recognized Florida Power & Light Company on its list of "Top 10 Utilities in Economic Development" for 2015.
"There is a reason that companies such as Hertz, Northrop Grumman and Univision have all relocated or expanded in Florida within the past five years," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "We understand that special electric rates and incentives are integral parts of economic development projects that are tied to state and local communities. We're honored to be recognized again, however, economic development is a team effort. Our partners, including local economic development agencies, Enterprise Florida, the legislature and Governor Scott, work hard to provide us the needed support to complement efforts that create hundreds of jobs across the Sunshine State."
Site Selection magazine evaluates utilities for recognition based on the following mix of objective and subjective criteria: Analysis of corporate end-user project activity in 2014 in that company's territory based on the Conway Data New Plant Database and submitted materials from utilities; website tools and data; innovative programs and incentives for business, including energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; and the utility's own job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends.
"This year's Top Utilities are the class of their field when it comes to economic development teamwork," says Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection. "Like the best athletic teams, they know how to look for the open opportunity, turn on a dime when circumstances require it, communicate with teammates and move without the ball so they're ready when the time comes to close the deal."
With the support of the Florida Public Service Commission, in 2011, FPL began offering special discounted rates as one of the incentives to foster growth and economic investment in Florida. These rates are provided to companies that create a minimum of 25 jobs and have a new electric demand of 350 kilowatt-hours. To date, 48 companies have signed up to take advantage of this discounted rate that could potentially lead to the creation of 7,900 jobs.
FPL's site selection tool PoweringFlorida.com, brings together all the critical information site selectors need to qualify locations across the state for new headquarters or facilities. This one-stop-shop provides vital and timely information to anyone accessing information about Florida, from real estate availability to workforce vital statistics.
"Florida's economy continues to rebound and its pro-business climate is second to none," said Crystal Stiles, manager of FPL's Office of Economic Development. "Site Selection's recognition of our economic development program validates all the hard work, resources and investments we've made over the past three years to keep improving. This includes creating helpful online tools, as well as leveraging our data center recruitment activities to generate qualified leads and nurturing symbiotic partnerships with state and local economic development organizations."
The Top 10 Utilities list appears in the magazine's September 2015 edition and online at www.SiteSelection.com. Site Selection delivers expansion planning information to 48,000 executives of fast-growing firms.
About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving approximately 4.8 million customer accounts across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and, in 2014, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the fifth year in a row. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company was recognized in 2015 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, including being ranked in the top 10 worldwide for innovativeness and community responsibility as part of Fortune's 2015 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company