JUNO BEACH, Fla. - Florida Power & Light Company today announced it has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to identify and select new renewable generation resources that will help the company enhance its fuel diversity and maintain system reliability while providing cost-effective power to its customers.
“Our goal is to provide our customers with a mix of renewable resources that further augments and diversifies our existing generation portfolio,” said Michael Leighton, FPL’s chief development officer.
Today, FPL buys 158 megawatts of renewable energy on a firm basis in addition to approximately 146 MW on a non-firm basis or about one-third of the state’s available renewable energy production.
“We’re hoping to identify and tap into new, affordable renewable energy sources that can be in service by 2015, as well as open dialogue with others about technologies and resources that might be available beyond that timeframe,” said Leighton.
FPL released its RFP earlier today, with a pre-proposal workshop planned for May. Proposals will be due in July and a short list of vendors will be compiled by November. More information about the RFP can be obtained at www.FPL.com/renewables2007rfp
RFP solicits innovative proposals
The RFP is limited to new renewable generation facilities. FPL’s RFP defines “new renewable generating facility” as an electrical generating unit or a group of units located on the same site that is currently not producing energy or increased capacity from an existing facility interconnected to an electric utility. The company welcomes proposals that use a variety of renewable energy sources, including biomass (including waste-to-energy and landfill gas), solar, geothermal, wind, ocean current, hydroelectric, waste heat from a commercial or industrial manufacturing process and hydrogen produced from sources other than fossil fuel. FPL would prefer that the renewable resources be located in Florida.
The issuance of the RFP follows and expands upon a Standard Offer Contract for all renewable generators, filed with the Florida Public Service Commission earlier this month. Unlike the Standard Offer Contract, the RFP requires that all renewable attributes associated with the renewable generation be provided to FPL.
Producing reliable power and protecting the environment
FPL is committed to increasing its energy purchases from renewable generating facilities. In addition to the RFP and the Standard Offer Contract, the company continues to look for opportunities to incorporate renewable resources into its power generating fleet as technologies make them commercially available. The company is developing several pilot projects using solar photovoltaic technology and exploring technologies for potentially producing electricity from ocean currents. Additionally, FPL is pursuing a wind demonstration project on either the east or the west coast of Florida.
FPL’s affiliate, FPL Energy, is the leader in wind-produced power in the nation and owns the largest solar generating facility in the world. Combined, the two subsidiaries of FPL Group operate one of the cleanest electricity generating fleets in the nation with among the lowest rates of power plant air emissions.
FPL Group was one of the first to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program and is committed to achieving an 18 percent reduction in emission rates of greenhouse gasses by 2008 compared to a 2001 baseline.
Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL), nationally known as a high quality, efficient and customer-driven organization focused on energy-related products and services. With annual revenues of nearly $16 billion and a growing presence in 26 states, FPL Group is widely recognized as one of the country's premier power companies. Florida Power & Light Company serves 4.4 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, Inc., FPL Group's energy-generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.FPL.com, www.FPLGroup.com and www.FPLEnergy.com.