JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company today announced that POWER magazine selected the company's Cape Canaveral Next Generation Clean Energy Center as a Top Plant for 2013. According to POWER, Top Plants include projects that have distinguished themselves as industry leaders for a range of factors including unique technology or importance to their local community.
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"It's fitting that this historic Cape Canaveral site, which emerged to power American innovation and leadership during the space race more than half a century ago, is using some of the most advanced technology fueled by U.S. natural gas to help power the Space Coast," said FPL Executive Vice President of Power Generation Tony Rodriguez. "This energy center is playing an important role in our continued ability to deliver more than 99.98 percent service reliably to our customers with typical residential bills that are among the lowest of Florida's 55 electric utilities."
FPL's Cape Canaveral Next Generation Clean Energy Center came online April 24, 2013, one month ahead of schedule and more than $140 million under its approximately $1 billion budget. The facility is part of FPL's commitment to replace older plants with newer, more fuel-efficient energy centers that run on American-made natural gas. The new plant is 33 percent more fuel efficient than the plant it replaced, cuts carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 percent, and reduces air emissions by more than 90 percent. Additionally, it generates enough electricity to power 250,000 homes and businesses, nearly double that of the original plant, without using any additional water or land.
Over its operational lifetime, the new fuel-efficient plant is expected to provide FPL customers with hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel and other savings over and above the cost of construction.
"This recognition is a testament to the hard work and professionalism of the entire modernization project team," said Roxane Kennedy, FPL vice president, power generation. "From taking the old plant out of service and demolishing it to bringing the new center online, this has been an amazingly well-executed project that is important for our customers and our company."
FPL's West County Energy Center and DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center were recognized as Top Plants for 2010 by POWER magazine.
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida and serves the third-largest number of customers of any electric utility in the United States. FPL serves approximately 4.6 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 10,000 employees as of year-end 2012. During the five-year period ended December 31, 2012, the company delivered the best service reliability among Florida investor-owned utilities. As of year-end 2012, its typical residential customer bills are the lowest in Florida, and based on data available in July 2012, are about 26 percent below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.
Florida Power and Light Co.
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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company