Florida Power & Light

Florida Power & Light Company
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Electric utility
Predecessor	Miami Beach Electric Company
Founded	1925
Headquarters	Juno Beach, United States
Area served	Florida, United States
Key people	Armando Pimentel Jr. (President and CEO)
Products	Electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and sale
Number of employees	9500 (2023)
Parent	NextEra Energy Inc.
Website	www.fpl.com

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the leading subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (previously known as FPL Group, Inc.), stands as the largest electric utility in Florida. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, FPL provides electricity to roughly 5 million customers, serving an estimated 11 million residents across the state. It operates as a rate-regulated electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. In 2020, FPL earned recognition as the most reliable electric power utility in the United States for the fifth occasion within six years.

Expansion and Regulatory Environment

In January 2021, FPL expanded its service area by merging with Gulf Power Company, extending its coverage into northwest Florida. Throughout 2021, Gulf Power continued to operate as a distinct division under FPL's management.

As a regulated monopoly within Florida, FPL holds a dominant position in the state's electricity market. It ranks among the top contributors to political campaigns and lobbying activities within Florida. The company has been linked to financing covert spoiler campaigns aimed at influencing electoral results and has actively opposed rooftop solar panel initiatives to restrict competition from distributed solar energy sources.

History

In Florida’s early days of electrification, power plants primarily produced ice and sold surplus electricity during off-peak periods. By the 1920s, demand for electricity outpaced this excess supply. Between 1924 and 1925, American Power & Light (APL) acquired multiple Florida power plants and interconnected them to enhance supply reliability. In December 1925, APL transferred its Florida holdings into a newly created subsidiary named FPL, which replaced the Miami Beach Electric Company. After the devastating Miami hurricane of 1926 damaged much of the infrastructure, APL financed repairs and constructed two additional power plants. By early 1927, FPL was serving approximately 115,000 customers.

1950-2009

FPL steadily increased both its customer base and generating capacity, achieving an independent listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 1950. During the 1960s and 1970s, it commissioned several new power facilities, including Florida’s inaugural nuclear plant at Turkey Point, which began operations in October 1972. In 1978, FPL introduced the Watt-Wise home energy audit program aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and lowering peak demand.

The company established the holding entity FPL Group in 1984 to facilitate acquisitions and manage subsidiaries. In 1989, it became the first non-Japanese firm awarded the Deming Prize for quality management.

Beginning in 1990, FPL Group expanded beyond Florida’s borders by acquiring a controlling interest in a Georgia Power generation site. Over the following twenty years, it extended its footprint across southern and eastern U.S. markets by creating FPL Energy in 1998 to oversee non-Florida operations. Notable acquisitions included majority ownership of New Hampshire’s Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant in 2002 and Texas-based Gexa Energy in 2005. The company also launched telecommunications services through its subsidiary FPL FiberNet. By 2002, FPL’s customer count had grown to approximately four million.

In the early 21st century, FPL updated its generating assets to cut emissions, reduce fuel expenses, and minimize oil consumption; by 2013 annual oil use had fallen below one million barrels. Although FPL was Florida’s largest utility by 2007, its proposal for a coal-fired plant near Moore Haven was rejected by the Florida Public Service Commission.

By the end of the decade, FPL Group and FPL Energy had rebranded as NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Resources respectively.

2009-present

Starting in 2009, FPL initiated the deployment of smart meters that use radio signals to send outage notifications. That same year, environmental groups objected to the shutdown of Barley Barber Swamp, alleging that FPL was responsible for draining the area; however, the company refuted these claims and collaborated with authorities to reinstate public access. The protest led to the arrest of seventeen individuals.

In 2011, FPL retired an outdated power facility in Cape Canaveral, where warm water discharges had disrupted manatee migration patterns. To reduce environmental impact, FPL invested $5 million in installing pumps and heaters to preserve manatee habitats during the construction of a replacement plant. Comparable measures were implemented at power stations in Riviera Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Following completion of the Riviera Beach project, FPL inaugurated the Manatee Education Center in 2016.

That year also saw FPL establish the world’s first hybrid solar facility, integrating solar thermal collectors with combined cycle natural gas technology. The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Martin County had a capacity of 75 megawatts but was retired in 2023. By 2013, FPL’s asset base reached $34.8 billion, operating 23 plants with a combined output of 24,000 megawatts. As of 2014, nearly 4.9 million smart meters had been installed.

In March 2015, FPL launched a Power Delivery Diagnostic Center utilizing smart grid innovations to improve system dependability. By 2016, the company oversaw roughly 74,000 miles of electrical transmission lines throughout Florida.

In January 2021, Gulf Power Company was officially merged into FPL, extending its service area into Northwest Florida. Gulf Power continued as a distinct division throughout 2021 while awaiting regulatory approval from the Florida Public Service Commission for full consolidation. This merger involved taking over Gulf Power’s stakes in the Scherer plant and the Daniel Generating Plant located in Mississippi.

July 2022 marked the introduction of a $25 minimum monthly charge for customers regardless of their electricity consumption.

In September 2023, FPL reached an agreement to sell Florida City Gas to Chesapeake Utilities for $923 million.

Company overview

FPL stands as the largest electric utility provider in the United States. In 2023, it served approximately 5.9 million customer accounts representing close to 12 million individuals and employed about 9,500 personnel. The company reported revenues totaling $18.37 billion that year. Its headquarters are located in Juno Beach, Florida, with Armando Pimentel Jr. holding the positions of president and chief executive officer.

The company operates a $2 million, 13,000-square-foot office situated in downtown Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city. This facility includes an exclusive lounge accessible by invitation only, where company lobbyists engage with select legislators.

Power generation

By 2023, FPL managed 114 generation units and maintained over 90,000 miles of transmission lines. Its net generating capacity stood at about 33,276 megawatts: roughly 73% derived from natural gas or dual-fuel plants, 14% from solar energy sources, and 11% from nuclear power.

Fossil fuel

FPL owns a total of 44 natural gas generating units and holds joint ownership in three coal-fired power plants located in Mississippi and Georgia. The combined natural gas capacity is approximately 24,254 megawatts. These facilities are distributed across southern and northwestern Florida and include plants at Cape Canaveral, Port Everglades, Riviera Beach, and Palm Beach County. These installations, commissioned during the 2010s, replaced older oil-fired units that were less efficient.

During construction of the West County Energy Center in Palm Beach County, environmental activists raised concerns about potential effects on the Everglades ecosystem and climate change implications. The plant commenced operations in 2009 with an expansion phase beginning in 2010.

Nuclear power

Florida Power & Light operates four nuclear reactors located at two facilities: Turkey Point, which began operations in 1972, and St. Lucie, which started in 1976. In 2015, Turkey Point attracted scrutiny from South Florida municipal leaders regarding its substantial water consumption, constrained evacuation zones, and vulnerabilities related to rising sea levels. FPL addressed these concerns by pursuing mitigation measures. By 2018, the company secured expansion permits from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Turkey Point site.

Solar power

As of February 2024, FPL manages 66 solar energy installations with a combined capacity near 4,803 megawatts, representing the largest solar portfolio in the nation. A prominent example is the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, which housed over 90,000 photovoltaic panels and was the largest facility of its type upon completion. Its inauguration was attended by President Barack Obama. In 2021, FPL commissioned a 74.5 MW solar facility at Kennedy Space Center.

In addition to these utility-scale projects, FPL has introduced smaller-scale solar initiatives through its SolarNow program, incorporating solar trees and canopy structures, complemented by 469 megawatts of battery storage capacity.

Wildlife

The Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant’s cooling canal system extends for 168 miles and serves as a habitat for endangered species including American crocodiles, loggerhead sea turtles, and manatees. These waterways are subject to ongoing monitoring via FPL’s wildlife conservation programs. Among these is a sea turtle protection project that has tagged more than 12,000 turtles over a quarter-century, establishing one of the most extensive wild sea turtle databases worldwide. Public education on turtle preservation is advanced through the College of Turtle Knowledge.

At the Riviera Beach Clean Energy Center, warm water discharge zones attract manatees. Starting in 2015, FPL initiated construction of the Manatee Education Center featuring exhibits, community meeting areas, a boardwalk, and a live manatee webcam aimed at enhancing public awareness and conservation efforts.

Solar energy

Since its inception in 2013, FPL’s Solar for Schools initiative has installed solar panels at upwards of 100 educational institutions and nonprofit centers throughout Florida to foster renewable energy awareness. The SolarNow program launched in 2015 supports community-based solar projects financed voluntarily by FPL customers.

FPL has consistently opposed broad expansions of net metering, advocating for fixed monthly fees, facility charges, and grid access costs for residential solar users. The company contends that current net metering policies unfairly shift expenses onto customers without solar installations; however, critics argue this stance aims to restrict rooftop solar growth to preserve FPL’s market control.

Controversy

The company has faced allegations of regulatory evasion, political influence-peddling, and customer rate increases. It is regarded as one of Florida’s most influential corporate entities politically. In 2021, FPL actively lobbied against net metering policies that enable rooftop solar customers to sell surplus electricity back to utilities. Internal communications revealed an FPL lobbyist providing bill language to a state senator who shortly afterward received a $10,000 contribution from FPL’s parent company and introduced the legislation; the senator denied any linkage.

Since 2010, major Florida utilities including FPL have contributed more than $12 million to state legislators’ campaigns. Additionally, FPL donated $2 million to support the 2016 Amendment 1 ballot measure designed to preserve utility monopolies over rooftop solar installations.

In 2021, investigations connected FPL executives with political consultants involved in "ghost" candidate schemes intended to divert votes from Democratic contenders. Evidence showed FPL used consultants and shell corporations to funnel funds to The Capitolist, a local news outlet publishing pro-utility content and critical coverage of opponents. The consulting firm Matrix LLC—linked to FPL—also promoted favorable media coverage for itself and Governor Rick Scott across various Florida news platforms.

Matrix monitored a Florida Times-Union columnist critical of FPL’s efforts to acquire Jacksonville’s utility provider. Furthermore, through a shell company arrangement, FPL offered a Jacksonville City Council member a $250,000 yearly position advocating marijuana decriminalization if he resigned his council seat.

FPL proposed constructing a coal-fired power plant on approximately 5,000 acres near Lake Okeechobee in Moore Haven as part of fuel diversification plans; however, this project was rejected in 2007 due to environmental concerns about mercury pollution and potential damage to the Everglades ecosystem.

The utility’s winter weather preparedness plan drew criticism for potentially imposing unnecessary expenses on consumers given Florida’s minimal risk of severe winter freezes.

Awards and recognition

In 1989, FPL became the first company outside Japan to receive the esteemed Deming Award, honoring its commitment to quality enhancement with a strong emphasis on improving customer satisfaction.

The year 2014 saw FPL acknowledged as the most trusted electric utility in the U.S. by Market Strategies International. That same year, the company earned the ReliabilityOne award for the southern region, received the Technology & Innovation accolade from PA Consulting Group, and secured the national ServiceOne Award for exceptional customer service for the tenth year in a row.

J.D. Power named FPL the leader in customer satisfaction among energy providers in 2016. Moreover, Fortune Magazine recognized both FPL Group and NextEra Energy as the most admired companies in the gas and electric utility sector for eight consecutive years.

In 2020, PA Consulting ranked FPL as the country’s most reliable electric utility, awarding it the ReliabilityOne honor for the fifth occasion within six years. Escalent also identified FPL as the most trusted U.S. electric utility for seven straight years, while Fortune placed it at number one on its 2020 World's Most Admired Companies list.

In January 2023, Eric Silagy, who had served as FPL’s CEO since 2014, announced his departure amid allegations concerning media manipulation, campaign finance infractions, and surveillance targeting critical journalists associated with the company.

External links

Gexa Energy website