FL 2030 Trailblazer Spotlight – Don Kiselewski, Florida Power & Light
Tell us a little about Florida Power & Light (FPL).
As the largest energy company in the U.S. measured by retail electricity produced and sold, Florida Power & Light Company serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts or more than 12 million residents from Miami to Pensacola with clean, reliable , and affordable electricity. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc., a clean energy company widely recognized for its sustainability, ethics, and diversity efforts. 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 and a world leader in battery storage.
What made FPL join the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Community Development Partnership Council, and what would you say to other Florida business leaders about the benefit and value of this partnership?
FPL is focused on growth and continuous improvement to meet the state’s energy needs now and in the years ahead. We do that by strengthening our commitment to what we know and have proven works – disciplined, long-term investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and innovative technology. The Council shares this mindset – to always keep the long-term interest of our state top of mind – and is a valuable partner as we work together to move our state forward.
What are FPL’s particular goals /areas of interest as it applies to reaching the Florida 2030 Blueprint goals designed to make Florida a top 10 global economy by 2030?
FPL is always looking over the horizon with the goal of continuous improvement and sustainability. The goal of “Diverse and Reliable Energy Systems” ties into our “30-by-30” plan to install 30 million solar panels by 2030. In addition to solar, we’re building the world’s largest integrated solar-powered battery, exploring green hydrogen technology, and working to make electric-vehicle driving more accessible to everyone. While these technologies are making our system cleaner and more sustainable, we also continue working hard every day to build a strong, smart, and reliable energy grid and have invested billions of dollars to harden the energy grid and make it more resilient. One example of that is FPL’s Storm Secure Underground Pilot Program, which replaces neighborhood overhead power lines with more reliable underground lines in areas with a history of outages during Hurricanes Matthew and/or Irma, past tree- and vegetation-related outages, and historic reliability factors.
The goals of “Flourishing Entrepreneurial Environment” and “Next-Generation Economic Development Models” tie into FPL’s Office of Economic Development, which was specifically built to help Florida climb out of the Great Recession and continues to support workforce development and showcase Florida’s top project locations. FPL’s 35 Mules innovation hub is also designed to move the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem forward and help businesses grow and remain in Florida.
Click here to learn about the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Community Development Partners who are uniting Florida businesses for good around the Florida 2030 Blueprint and powering TheFloridaScorecard.org.