Technology and Innovation

1927

The company bought 20 acres of land to develop a demonstration farm to convince potential residents that the marshy soil could be transformed into profitable farmland. The flourishing property included livestock and 150 varieties of plants.

Power and light storefront

1929

The company hired door-to-door salespeople to sell electric appliances and created display rooms at their local offices. Every employee became a salesperson, encouraging customers to purchase vacuums, coffee makers, refrigerators and toasters.

1971

FPL began its Wise Energy Management Program, one of the company's earliest energy efficiency campaigns.

Gas station line during gas shortage

1979

With oil prices skyrocketing, FPL began exploring alternative fuels, including a mixture of coal and oil, coal and water, and solar power.

1981-1983

The company established its Quality Improvement Program to improve day-to-day operations with problem-solving and teamwork. By the end of 1983, the program was considered a success and its methods became a model for companies abroad, including in Japan, Brazil and Sweden.

2010

FPL received the highest honor from the Southeastern Electric Exchange for its construction of the largest solar photovoltaic power plant in the United States.

Nuclear power plant wrapped in the American flag

2011

The company began the first of several modernizations of its 1960s oil- and gas-fired power plants, including Riviera Beach, Cape Canaveral and Port Everglades.

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.

Wind farm with wind turbines

2012

NextEra Energy Resources, together with PG&E, opened the 78.2-MW repowered Vasco Wind Energy Center near San Francisco, California.

2013

NextEra Energy completed the largest multi-state nuclear uprate project in U.S. history. The multi-billion dollar expansion at St. Lucie, Turkey Point and Point Beach involved six separate nuclear units.

Meter reading room

2013

The company completed a massive grid modernization project in Florida, including the installation of more than 4.5 million smart meters and deployment of smart grid technology.

2013

FPL completed its first commercial energy-efficient streetlight installation project with the installation of 166 LED streetlights in West Palm Beach’s Coleman Park neighborhood.

Saint Lucie nuclear power plant

2013

FPL completed its five-year, multi-billion-dollar project to upgrade its Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear power plants, adding more than 500 new MW of clean energy capacity.

2015

FPL opened its new, state-of-the-art Power Delivery Diagnostic Center, a high-tech smart grid technology center designed to leverage advanced smart grid technology to better manage the electric system and improve reliability.

Employee installing a fault mapping prediction system

2016

FPL’s Automated Fault Mapping Prediction System project was recognized with an Award of Excellence by the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN). This innovative smart grid technology propelled FPL to have service reliability nearly 50 percent better than the national average.

2016

FPL launched an innovative energy storage pilot project in conjunction with the White House summit on scaling renewable energy and storage with smart markets. The project focused on strengthening the electric grid by installing and testing several different types of advanced battery systems under real-life conditions.

Nuclear power plant

2016

FPL’s St. Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear power plants were recognized with the industry’s highest award for innovation – the Nuclear Energy Institute’s 2016 top innovation award. FPL was chosen for pioneering a unique program that significantly improves plant performance.

2017

NextEra Energy Resources and Sonoma Clean Power launched the Golden Hills North Wind Energy Center in California, a repowering project that replaced 283 30-year old wind turbines with just 20 new 2.3-MW GE turbines capable of generating even more power with twice the efficiency.

Employee repairing meter

2017

FPL received the prestigious AEIC Achievement Award from the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) for a technology breakthrough in anticipating intermittent power failures and improving the company's ability to take preventative action.

2017

FPL broke ground on its new state-of-the-art distribution control center, a category 5-rated facility that was designed to ensure greater everyday reliability and more efficient communication, collaboration and response during emergency restoration events.

Solar farm with solar panels

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 launches an electric vehicle charging program, FPL EVolution, to drive electrification of Florida transportation.

Wind turbines and battery storage at Rush Springs

2020

NextEra Energy Resources commissions the first battery energy storage system in Oklahoma — Rush Springs Storage.  It is co-located with the Rush Springs Wind Energy Center near Marlow, Oklahoma. The paired facilities represent a pilot program to help NextEra Energy Resources and the regional grid operator, Southwest Power Pool, learn how storage can both optimize the operations of a wind facility and improve the reliability of the larger electric grid.

2021

FPL installed the first battery components at Manatee Energy Storage Center, the world’s largest solar-powered battery storage facility. The center is expected to have a 409-MW capacity, delivering 900 MW-hours of energy – enough to power approximately 329,000 homes for more than two hours.

Employee on solar farm

2022

NextEra Energy sets goal to achieve zero-carbon emissions by no later than 2045.

2022

FPL makes history launching first-ever fixed-wing drone, FPLAir One. The drone is capable of flying up to 1,000 miles, capturing high-quality images and video of infrastructure.