Beginnings
1925
Florida Power & Light Company was created on Dec. 28, 1925. In the beginning, FPL owned power plants, water facilities, gas plants, ice companies, laundry services and even an ice cream business. In its first year, the company served approximately 76,000 customers in 58 communities and had a generating capacity of 70 MW.
1941-1945
At the beginning of World War II, 83 employees entered the armed forces. By its end, that number increased to 569 – one quarter of the company’s workforce. As a result, the company began hiring women to fill positions left vacant by labor shortages, including meter work, truck driving, auxiliary plant operation and mechanical work.
1950
FPL’s stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Overnight, the company acquired about 14,000 stockholders.
1972
The first nuclear power reactor at Turkey Point started generating electric energy. This was the first nuclear reactor in Florida.
1974-1977
FPL finished construction of its first 500-KW power line. FPL became one of the few companies in the nation able to produce more than 10 million KW of electricity.
1985
For the first time in its history, FPL went a full day without burning oil. Instead, it relied on coal-fired power from Georgia, its four nuclear units and natural gas to meet customer demand.
1989
FPL became the first non-Japanese company to win the Deming Award, a prestigious award recognizing Quality. The award was the culmination of years and millions of dollars in investment toward the company’s Quality Improvement Program.
1998
The company’s first wind site, Vansycle Ridge Wind Farm, came online near Helix, Oregon.
2006
FPL Group was named to Fortune’s list of the “Most Admired Companies” for the first time, ranking second among electric and gas utilities. NextEra Energy has gone on to receive the award 11 more times including in 2018.
2007
FPL Group was included on Ethisphere Institute’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the first time. NextEra Energy has gone on to receive the award 11 more times including in 2018.
2009
The company announced plans to develop Energy Smart Miami — its first venture into smart grid technology that helps customers better understand energy consumption and empowers them to make energy-efficient and cost-saving choices.
2010
NextEra Energy Resources became the first renewable energy company in the U.S. to offer verified emission reductions – a type of carbon offset credit.
2011
The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center was brought online. It was the first hybrid solar facility in the world to combine a solar-thermal field with a combined-cycle natural gas power plant.
2018
NextEra Energy was named to Forbes’ first-ever list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity, which ranks 250 companies across the U.S. based on results from employee surveys, examination of diversity policies, and analysis of diversity in executive boards and management teams.
2018
FPL brought online a new solar-plus-storage system that is believed to be the first in the country to fully integrate battery technology with a major solar power plant in a way that increases the plant's overall energy output.
2019
FPL's Turkey Point becomes the first nuclear plant in the United States to get a license renewal for up to 80 years.