RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. – Each winter when the temperature drops, hundreds of manatees gather in the warm waters near FPL’s power plant. To give the public a glimpse of these endangered creatures, FPL has launched an online "Manatee Cam.”
Visit www.FPL.com/manatees to see the manatees swimming in the Lake Worth Lagoon (Intracoastal Waterway) near FPL’s plant in Riviera Beach, one of the most popular gathering spots for the species on Florida’s east coast.
FPL has announced plans to modernize the plant into a highly efficient facility, the Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. While the plant is shut-down for the modernization process, a temporary heating system warms the water, which protects the manatees during the cooler months.
FPL works closely with environmental organizations and agencies in an ongoing effort to protect the manatees and foster public education and support. For years, FPL has sponsored aerial manatee surveys during the winter months when manatees often congregate near the company’s plants. These surveys have been critical in helping scientists and resource managers determine the number of manatees living in the waters throughout Florida. Approximately 1,200 manatees have been counted near FPL facilities with aerial surveys.
FPL’s Manatee Cam will remain online throughout the winter. Future FPL plans include a permanent manatee viewing area adjacent to the plant that would be open to the public.
About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with nearly 11,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are well below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and the No. 1 energy efficiency program among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.