JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today joined Chicago-based S&C Electric Company (S&C) at the opening of S&C's West Palm Beach manufacturing facility -- a site that will turn out thousands of smart grid devices aimed at improving service for FPL's 4.8 million customers.

"We're committed to continuing to build a stronger, smarter grid to provide electricity our customers can count on in good weather and bad," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "Part of the commitment of having the most modern grid in America includes building relationships with innovative companies like S&C, with the goal of delivering state-of-the-art technology for the benefit of our customers, all the while keeping the cost they pay for their electricity the lowest in Florida and 30 percent below the national average."

FPL's high demand for automated devices that help decrease the number of customers affected by momentary outages, or "flickers," is the primary driver for S&C's decision to site their new facility in south Florida. The new manufacturing facility will produce S&C's patented TripSaver II® Cutout-Mounted Recloser, an automated switch FPL is purchasing by the thousands and placing on neighborhood power lines.

"The TripSaver II is an automated device, replacing traditional fuses that must be manually operated," said Michael Edmonds, president of U.S. Business for S&C. "When there's a temporary issue on a power line, such as a palm frond falling or blowing into the line, this switch automatically responds in seconds, senses when the branch is gone and clears the temporary issue – keeping the power on for customers."

Automated switches work similar to a breaker in a home, but with the added benefit of being able to automatically re-energize, improving the self-healing capabilities of the electric system – technology that makes the system more resilient following severe weather.

"Today marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season," said Silagy. "These devices and the other smart grid technology that we are installing throughout our communities are dramatically changing our customers' experience for the better. Today, we're detecting and preventing many power outages well before they become problems for our customers – that is a complete shift in the way we conducted business just a short time ago. We believe when severe weather strikes, the billions of dollars we've invested during the past decade to build a stronger, smarter grid will result in much quicker power restoration, allowing for faster return to normalcy for our customers."

Deploying smart grid technology is part of FPL's ongoing effort to modernize the electric grid and deliver everyday reliable service, while also reducing costs for customers. FPL plans to install more than 20,000 automated switches this year alone.

Florida Governor Rick Scott attended the opening of the S&C facility and addressed its new employees and invited guests.

Governor Scott said, "S&C's new manufacturing facility will create 170 new jobs and I am excited to welcome them to West Palm Beach today. Manufacturing sites like this are creating new opportunities for families to succeed across our state, and are helping us meet our goal of making Florida the global destination for jobs."

The new S&C facility represents a $3 million investment in Florida and is expected to bring 170 new jobs to the state, including manufacturing operations and installing the new devices along the FPL electric system.

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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 2014 as the most trusted U.S. electric utility by Market Strategies International, and has earned the national ServiceOne Award for outstanding customer service for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years. 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.

S&C Electric Company
S&C Electric Company is a global provider of equipment and services for electric power systems. Founded in 1911, with global headquarters in Chicago, USA, S&C applies its heritage of innovation to address challenges facing the world's power grids and is thus shaping the future of reliable electricity delivery. The mission of employee-owned S&C is to continually develop new solutions for electricity delivery, fostering the improved efficiency and reliability required for the intelligent grid. Learn more at www.sandc.com.

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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company