Tag Archives: fpl

FPL Hosts First-Ever Storm Meteorologist Event

May 26, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

This event marked the first time FPL executives, TV meteorologists and government forecasters have met to discuss their shared responsibilities during hurricane season.

Juno Beach, FL (May 26, 2012) — With hurricane season fast approaching, Florida Power & Light Company invited South Florida meteorologists to its new, category 5-resistant command center in Riviera Beach to meet its own meteorologist, Tim Drum, and to learn how weather forecasting drives FPL’s response to storms.

“FPL plays such an integral part in not only the hurricanes, but what we do before and after the hurricanes, that I think this communication and collaboration is fantastic,” said Steve Weagle, chief meteorologist for WPTV, Newschannel 5 in West Palm Beach.

Keith Hardy, FPL’s vice president of Distribution, welcomed the guests. “Weather impacts just about everything we do here at FPL,” he said.

Drum discussed how FPL works closely with its partners from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center to develop forecasts before big storms and throughout the year.

“A big part of what Tim does is try to give us a heads up – ‘Hey, this is going to occur in this specific area today at this specific time, therefore we may need to call in additional resources or we may need to travel resources to a particular area,’” Hardy explained.

In advance of a tropical storm or hurricane, FPL’s forecasting allows it to preposition crews appropriately, so they are able to get to work restoring power to impacted customers immediately after a storm passes. Drum also showcased technology, including the Google-based “Restoration Spatial View,” which helps FPL leaders and field crews pinpoint exactly where the outages are located in the company’s expansive network of more than one million poles in 35 Florida counties.

This event marked the first time FPL executives, TV meteorologists and government forecasters have met to discuss their shared responsibilities during hurricane season. Drum praised the meteorologists as “important communicators” and valuable partners to help the company communicate with its 4.6 million customers before, during and after a storm. The invited guests said they found the tour and discussion valuable, too.

“We’re all involved in the same thing, which is communicating information,” said John Matthews, chief meteorologist for WPEC-CBS 12 in West Palm Beach. “And I’m really pleased to see how FPL has really stepped up to the plate on this one.”

About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with approximately 10,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are 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 http://www.FPL.com.

Media Contact:
Chris de la Huerta
rbb Public Relations
355 Alhambra Circle, Suite 800
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-448-7535
christine.delahuerta@rbbpr.com
http://www.rbbpr.com

Energy, Environment, Technology

Smart Grid Technology helps FPL deliver more Affordable, Reliable Electricity to Customers

May 1, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Bryan Olnick, FPL vice president of Customer Service for Smart Grid Solutions, discusses the roll out of smart grid technology and the benefits for FPL customers. Through April 2012, more than 3.2 million of FPL’s 4.6 million customers have smart meters installed. Installation will continue through 2013.

Juno Beach, FL (May 1, 2012) — This is an exciting time to work in the energy business and it is also a good time to be a customer of Florida Power & Light Company. We are rolling out advanced technology that will allow FPL to improve upon its already industry-leading reliable service and give our customers more control than ever over their energy bills.

The technology includes smart meters, which will replace the traditional meters on the side of your home. Unlike the traditional meters, which required someone to visit your home and read the energy use on a monthly basis, the smart meters use radio frequencies to communicate with our network. Automated feeder switches and other “smart grid” technology we are installing on our poles and lines are integrated with the smart meters, allowing us to reroute power in the case of an outage and minimize the number of customers who will be impacted. The upgrade to smart meters will also help us see outages in the system so we can get to work faster restoring your power.

What’s more, you as a customer will have access to the information your smart meter delivers through an “energy dashboard’ that gives you a complete look at your account and your energy use by the month, day or hour. The energy dashboard will show you your energy use history and even project your bill based on your current use patterns. It will provide additional information about how the weather impacts your monthly bill. All of this is designed to give you greater control over your energy use and, with it, the ability to change your usage to lower your bill. No more surprises at the end of the month!

Not everyone has embraced the value of smart grid technology. You may have read accounts from critics who assert smart meters are a way of “Big Brother” monitoring your personal life. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Like the older mechanical meters, they measure how much total energy customers use, and not specifically which appliances use that energy. The difference is that the new smart meters can now communicate that information remotely instead of a meter reader having to visit your location once a month. The energy usage information is fully encrypted, and the smart meter does not store or transmit any information about who our customers are, where they live, or what they’re doing.

There are critics who worry about smart meters and radio frequency. The fact of the matter is, unlike many other common household devices that transmit radio frequency, smart meters only transmit data in short bursts lasting just a few seconds. The meters are inactive as much as 99 percent of the time. That means they give off a fraction of the radio frequency compared to cell phones or other common household devices, like baby monitors.

Once you experience the benefits of smart grid technology, we think you will agree it is a significant way for us to better serve you, and for you to take control of your energy use. With FPL, you already have a great value, the lowest power bills in the state. Now, with smart grid technology, you have the opportunity to make your bill even lower. Check out http://www.FPL.com/energysmart to get all the information and see how customers are already saving energy and money using their online energy dashboard–a new FPL service made possible by smart meters.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
kristy.kennedy@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com

Business

FPL turns Innovation into an Experience for its Customers at Company-Wide Expo

April 28, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

“Our operations and maintenance costs are 30 percent better than the industry average. That’s a testament to our innovative employees and it’s one of the ways we offer such a great value proposition for our customers – bills that are the lowest in the state and 25 percent lower than the national average,” said Jim Robo, chief operating officer for FPL’s parent company, NextEra Energy.

Juno Beach, FL (April 28, 2012) — Tom Kipp learned just how serious Florida Power & Light is about safety and reliability when he stopped by a booth at the company’s 18th annual Quality, Safety and Innovation Expo.

An FPL business client and the vice president of Production for Hoerbiger Corporation of America, Inc., Kipp was given a hands-on demonstration of how to safely cut metal cables by the employees of FPL’s Distribution team.

“One of the things I noticed was the enthusiasm of the FPL employees,” said Kipp of the Expo. “The Operational Excellence’s focus on continuous improvement appears not just to be a flavor of the month here. Whether it’s an engineer or a technician or someone from Human Resources, all those I met have the same commitment to improvement. The leadership has managed to make it a culture, rather than a program.”

The Expo is a companywide showcase of projects created by FPL employees to improve efficiency, reliability and safety. Welcoming thousands of people and featuring nearly 70 exhibition booths at the Juno Beach headquarters, the Expo spanned FPL’s customer-focused capabilities, ranging from advancing electric-vehicle technology to reducing power outages caused by pine and palm trees. Kipp was one of 98 business clients invited to attend the day-long event on April 27.

Sponsored by FPL’s departments of Corporate Operational Excellence and Corporate Safety, the Expo is an opportunity for teams of employees to share how they’ve employed Six Sigma-based quality techniques to solve process problems and improve existing programs. FPL offers employees an extensive Six Sigma program that awards certifications for varying levels of training, helping to create a network of more than 1,000 efficiency experts.

“The projects you’re seeing on display here today are just part of FPL’s relentless pursuit of efficiency,” said Jim Robo, chief operating officer for FPL’s parent company, NextEra Energy. “Our operations and maintenance costs are 30 percent better than the industry average. That’s a testament to our innovative employees and it’s one of the ways we offer such a great value proposition for our customers – bills that are the lowest in the state and 25 percent lower than the national average.”

To see more from the Expo visit: http://newsroom.fpl.com/index.php?s=31538&item=30871.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
kristy.kennedy@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com

Business

FPL Partners with Indian River State College to Launch Brown Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

April 13, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

“Since the program was developed, we have hired over 60 trained individuals and promoted 24 existing employees because of the skills and knowledge they gained here at IRSC,” Mano Nazar, FPL’s Nuclear Division executive vice president and chief nuclear officer.

Juno Beach, FL (April 13, 2012) — The next generation of FPL nuclear technicians and engineers could very well get their start at Indian River State College’s (IRSC) new Brown Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The $21.5 million, 65,000 square foot facility at IRSC’s Ft. Pierce campus represents a unique partnership between the college and local business partners, including FPL.

The Brown Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will focus on educational programs in alternative energy and sustainability. Students will learn how to produce biofuels, construct photovoltaic solar cells, experiment with light technologies, and gain hands-on experience in all aspects of energy efficient building construction.

The center will also feature a nuclear simulator complete with a control room that will help train students to work at Florida Power & Light’s St. Lucie or Turkey Point nuclear power plants. The college received a $3.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to train instructors who will then train students.

The program includes a partnership of schools from 18 states.

FPL donated equipment so students can get real-life experience in a controlled environment.

“I think it’s going to play a big part moving into the future,” IRSC President Ed Massey told Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. “By housing the nuclear energy program and the power plant operations program in partnership with Florida Power & Light, again it is meeting a high demand need in our area and putting people in high skill, high-wage paying jobs available in that industry.”

The Brown Center represents an extension of the partnership FPL has built with IRSC over the past six years, helping to train students in nuclear technology and place them in jobs immediately following graduation.

“Our partnership with IRSC has been a win-win,” said Mano Nazar, FPL’s Nuclear Division executive vice president and chief nuclear officer. “Since the program was developed in 2006 in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and IRSC, we have hired over 60 trained individuals and promoted 24 existing employees because of the skills and knowledge they gained here at IRSC. This is a great example of how an innovative partnership like this one can really make a difference.”

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com
To view photos please visit: http://newsroom.fpl.com

Business

Local Middle Schoolers Power Radio Station with Wind Energy by FPL Grant

April 12, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

“FPL began our teacher grant program to provide funds for creative, exciting classroom projects that spark curiosity and give our children exposure to real-world applications of the science behind everyday energy use,” said Maureen Wilt of FPL.

Juno Beach, FL (April 12, 2012) — Stroll onto the campus of the David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center School in North Miami, and one of the first things you’ll see is a waterfall powered by solar panels. Round a corner, and you’ll stumble upon a working wind turbine. A few steps further, a team of pre-teens is constructing a radio transmission tower under the direction of teacher Laurie Futterman.

This month, Ms. Futterman won her second grant from Florida Power & Light Company to implement student projects exploring renewable energy. The solar waterfall was the result of her first grant, and took about a year to complete. For her next project, she dreamed even bigger.

This year’s FPL grant will help Ms. Futterman and the school’s “Green Team” apply a wind turbine they built to provide power to a radio tower, which will broadcast student announcements of school events and programs to parents’ car radios as they pick up or drop off their children.

The Green Team started out as an afterschool environmental police force who audited classrooms for wasted energy. Thanks to the grants, the group has evolved into a green engineering club, taking on projects like building the solar powered waterfall, wind turbine, and now radio transmission tower.

In preparation for the project, Ms. Futterman had her students read “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” the story of a boy in Malawi who used tree limbs, a bike tire, and old junk parts to build a wind turbine that powered lights in his family’s house.

The Green Team’s project is just as hands-on. In constructing the wind turbine, the students prepped, primed, and riveted parts and hand-coiled copper wire. They’re nearly ready to run a wire underground to the radio tower and up the PVC pipes that form the legs of the tower, and mount the antenna. Next up: the students will work on the radio station and announcements.

“There’s only so much a teacher can do in the classroom, and we’re grateful to have the grants for an invaluable opportunity to actually put green energy into motion,” said Ms. Futterman. “I see our students truly inspired and energized by their mission. They work after school every Monday until about five o’clock – they even worked through their winter vacation!”

The radio tower project was made possible with a $1,600 grant from FPL to spur innovative and critical science, technology, engineering, and math education in the classroom. While so-called “STEM” education is seen as the key to job growth and global competitiveness, public funds to support it are scarce.

“There’s no doubt that STEM classes are one of the most important components in today’s education,” said Maureen Wilt of FPL. “That’s why FPL began our teacher grant program – to provide funds for creative, exciting classroom projects that spark curiosity and give our children exposure to real-world applications of the science behind everyday energy use. This is the third year of FPL’s grant program and so far, we’ve been able to support 84 amazing classroom projects across Florida. We can’t wait to see what our state’s teachers come up with next year.”

You can keep track of the Green Team’s progress on Facebook with videos, pictures, and status updates from “Ms. Futterman’s Science Page.” Or, learn more about FPL’s education initiatives at http://www.fpl.com/community/learning.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
Website: http://www.fpl.com/community/learning/index.shtml

Energy, Environment

FPL offers Snowbirds ways to save Energy While Away

April 5, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Juno Beach, FL (April 5, 2012) — Rising temperatures in Florida mark the time of year when seasonal residents begin preparing to close their homes for the summer. These snowbirds face unique challenges in preparing their homes, and Florida Power & Light (FPL) wants to help seasonal residents in its service territory face challenges like mold prevention and storm preparation, and help them save on their electric bills, too.

Although the number of seasonal residents varies, FPL estimates that there are about 400,000 seasonal residents its service territory.

FPL’s energy efficiency blogger, Danielle Mousseau, recognizes the opportunity to help seasonal residents. “We’ve noticed that seasonal residents have been very active on our blog, asking questions on ways they can save and how they can prevent mold while they’re away for the summer,” says Mousseau. “To help meet their needs, we developed a comprehensive checklist that they can use to help them save energy and money as well as prevent mold when their home is vacant.”

Like all FPL customers, seasonal residents benefit from the lowest electric bill out of the state’s 55 electric utilities, and a bill that is 25 percent below the national average, says Mousseau.

Here’s FPL’s checklist to prevent mold and save energy while your home is vacant:

Mold prevention
• For programmable thermostats: Set your A/C to run at 72 degrees for just two hours each morning before sunrise and at 88 degrees the rest of the time.
• For non-programmable thermostats: Set your A/C to run at 80 degrees while you are away. If you live in a condo or apartment set your A/C at 77 degrees.
• For maximum energy savings: Use dehumidifiers instead of air conditioning. Set dehumidifiers at 58 percent by sinks and showers, one for every 1,000 square feet. Be sure to place the dehumidifiers so the water runs into the drain.

Appliances

• Water heater: Unplug or turn off the circuit breaker to the hot water heater
• Unplug appliances and electronics. For security reasons, you may want to place timers on indoor lamps.
• Refrigerators: If you prefer to keep your refrigerator on, set it at its warmest setting. If your prefer to keep your refrigerator off, make sure to clean the interior with solution of 1 tbsp. of baking soda in 1 quart of water; dry thoroughly and leave doors open. Remove all food from the freezer and refrigerator and leave the refrigerator door propped open. If you have an automatic ice maker, switch it to the “off” position.

Pool
• Set your pool pump to run no more than six hours a day.
• Arrange for someone to check your pool’s chemical levels and water level while you’re away.

Billing and Payment Options
• For the easiest ways to receive and pay your FPL bill while you’re away, visit http://www.FPL.com/easy

Hurricane Preparedness
• Make arrangements for hurricane shutters to be installed prior to your departure if you will be gone for the duration of hurricane season, which runs from June to November.

Other
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working and have fresh batteries.
• Discard all perishable items.
• Ask someone to check on your property every two weeks while you’re away.
• Turn off the main water valve unless you have an automatic fire-sprinkler system. If you do, turn off the water valves to your washing machine, kitchen and bathroom sinks, dishwasher and toilets.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com
For more information, visit: http://on.fb.me/GTJshe

Business

FPL Volunteers Help Restore Historic Three Chimneys Plantation in Ormond Beach

March 31, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Juno Beach, FL (March 31, 2012) — As part of FPL’s “Power to Care Week,” today 35 FPL volunteers helped restore the trails on the beautiful Three Chimneys Sugar Mill plantation, giving visitors better access to four centuries of history in Ormond Beach.

Three Chimneys is the oldest British sugar plantation in the United States, encompassing several historical landmarks dating back to the 1700s. FPL volunteers built a pathway linking the plantation compound to Fagan Tree, a massive oak estimated to be well over a century old. Further plans for improvement of the Three Chimneys include creating a park to promote Florida’s history and multicultural heritage, which spans four centuries on this location.

“The age and wealth of the Three Chimneys Sugar Mill Plantation’s history makes the site a state treasure worthy of care and preservation, and also a natural focus for local FPL employees’ volunteerism during Power to Care Week,” said FPL External Affairs Manager for the area, Larry Volenac. “Our efforts to improve the site are an extension of an ongoing partnership with the Ormond Beach Historical Society to ensure we can all enjoy and learn from the Three Chimneys well into the future.”

This event was just one in a series of activities conducted this week as part of FPL’s fourth annual Power to Care initiative. More than 900 volunteers, consisting of employees and their families, participated in 22 community volunteer projects throughout Florida, including the Three Chimneys project. Throughout the week, volunteers across the state rolled up their sleeves to help clean beaches and restore dunes, landscape nonprofit facilities, spruce up parks, beautify gardens, and more.

“The Ormond Beach Historical Society is very honored that FPL is working with us to promote the Three Chimneys site and its associated landmarks as an educational resource for both residents of Florida and our visitors,” said Dr. Philip Shapiro, chairman of the Ormond Beach Historical Society preservation committee. “Without FPL’s assistance, the trail would not be safe or accessible to the public.”

Three Chimneys and Fagan Tree is open year-round to the public via guided tours sponsored by the Ormond Beach Historical Society. For more information about Three Chimneys visit http://www.ormondhistory.org.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com
To view photos click here: http://on.fb.me/GTJshe

Business

FPL Helps Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami Build Homes, Strengthen Communities

March 30, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

“By building alongside our partner families, FPL once again demonstrates its commitment to corporate responsibility. The company’s financial generosity is only exceeded by its enthusiasm to help others,” said Mario Artecona, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.

Juno Beach, FL (March 30, 2012) — As part of their annual “Power to Care” week, more than 70 FPL employees rolled up their sleeves to help Habitat for Humanity build new, affordable homes and revitalize a distressed community in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.

Habitat’s Greater Miami Chapter is building 114 homes in this community and rehabilitating more than 40 others. The two-year initiative called “Liberty City Shine” is one of the most aggressive building schedules the chapter has ever attempted, said Mario Artecona, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.

FPL‘s volunteer support arrived just in time to help drive the project forward.

“By building alongside our partner families, FPL once again demonstrates its commitment to corporate responsibility. The company’s financial generosity is only exceeded by its enthusiasm to help others,” said Habitat’s Artecona. “We are forever grateful for the support. FPL is a great partner to Habitat and continues to set the standard for corporate community engagement.”

FPL volunteers joined in to help with framing and insulation, installing of windows and doors, painting, tiling, landscaping, and other construction-related tasks – all with the ultimate goal of building quality homes for low-income families in need of a decent, affordable place to live.

One of the volunteers, Patricia Beliard, works in FPL’s Community Service department and she was actually pulling double-duty today: she was able to work alongside her fellow employees and apply her volunteer hours toward the Habitat requirement of 250 hours to qualify for her own home. “I am so grateful to be out here today with my coworkers. They are helping me achieve my dream of owning my own home for the first time in my life. I am blessed and grateful.”

This event is just one of 22 volunteer projects taking place during FPL’s Power to Care Week. Throughout the week, a volunteer group of more than 900, consisting of employees and their families, spread out across the state to help clean beaches and restore dunes, landscape nonprofit facilities, spruce up parks, beautify gardens, and more.

“Habitat is doing some terrific work here in Liberty City and FPL is so glad to be a part of it,” said Meredith Rollo, FPL Community Relations specialist. “We’re delighted to help make dreams come true for families in this community.”

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com
For pictures visit: http://on.fb.me/GTJshe

Business

FPL Volunteers Team Up with at-risk Youths to give Six Riviera Beach Homes a Facelift

March 28, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Juno Beach, FL (March 28, 2012) — Six homes in Riviera Beach got a makeover on March 26, 2012, thanks to over 90 volunteers from Florida Power & Light Company and the YouthBuild organization. As part of FPL‘s Power to Care Week, volunteers worked under the direction of the young women and men of YouthBuild to repaint homes and landscape gardens.

The team – armed with paint, brushes, flowering plants, and gardening tools – revitalized the homes to bring the benefit of improved housing to the entire neighborhood, cultivating pride in the community.

This event is just one of 22 volunteer projects taking place during FPL’s Power to Care Week. Throughout the week, more than 900 volunteers, made up of employees and their families, across the state roll up their sleeves to help clean beaches and restore dunes, landscape nonprofit facilities, spruce up parks, beautify gardens, and more.

“YouthBuild is an ideal partner organization to work with – its goal is to impact the lives of young people while improving their communities. We’re glad to have the opportunity to partner with them,” said Ethel Williams, FPL regional manager of corporate external affairs. “Working hand-in-hand with at-risk young adults while helping homeowners improve their homes is a testament to how powerful FPL volunteerism can be in giving back in such a positive, sustainable way to the communities we serve.”

YouthBuild is a nonprofit that recruits unemployed and undereducated young people ages 18 to 24 to work toward passing the GED examination or receiving a high school diploma while learning work and social skills by building and enhancing affordable housing.

“We appreciate FPL’s hands-on partnership to help Riviera Beach YouthBuild give back and assist us in making a difference in our community,” said Miguel Rada, program director of Riviera Beach YouthBuild. “One of our program’s components is to take an active role in revitalizing your community, and it is great to have FPL share in the same value of community service. FPL is playing a key role in actively building up our Riviera Beach community.”

This is the second year FPL has partnered with YouthBuild for Power to Care Week. In 2011, approximately 70 employees volunteered to help with the house-painting blitz.

For more information on Riviera Beach YouthBuild, visit http://www.rbyouthbuild.org. (To view Photos, please click here: http://on.fb.me/GTJshe)

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com

Business

FPL Efficiency Experts Help Loggerhead Marinelife Center

March 23, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

“I always thought it would be cool to give back in a different way, like putting our training and expertise to use for others,” said Matt Barrows, manager of Florida Power & Light’s Distribution Quality and Analytics Group.

Juno Beach, Fla. (March 23, 2012) — Like having a car filled with gas and no key to drive it, Loggerhead Marinelife Center of Juno Beach, Fla. had a lot of data, and no analysts to make sense of it.

Then, Matt Barrows, manager of Florida Power & Light’s Distribution Quality and Analytics Group, called the center in February, looking for off-site space to hold a two-day strategy meeting.

Barrows also had an idea – something he had always wanted to try, but never had the right opportunity to do. Since FPL supports Loggerhead and its environmental programs that help endangered sea turtles, maybe his group of efficiency experts could do a Six Sigma exercise for the nonprofit organization as a side project. Six Sigma is a business strategy that employs quality management and statistics to improve results.

“I always thought it would be cool to give back in a different way, like putting our training and expertise to use for others,” Barrows said. “Sometimes, we lose sight of the fact that what we learn and do here professionally may be just as valuable as volunteering in a more traditional sense. When I mentioned it to my supervisor, he said ‘go for it.’”

Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s development director Deborah Jaffe gave the group access to the data the center’s visitors provided about themselves, which was primarily addresses, and Barrows’ six-person team went to work.

Barrows and his team of efficiency experts volunteered to create an analytical report that cross-referenced the center’s visitor information with residential demographic data. The resulting presentation helped the Loggerhead development staff see clearly who they were serving and who they were missing, including where the majority of their visitors lived, an assessment of their demographics and whether they were Spanish-speaking residents.

Overall, the project will help development staff hone their marketing programs, better serve underprivileged audiences and improve communication with potential donors and supporters, Jaffe said.

“They did an absolutely fabulous job at Florida Power & Light with the analytical data project for the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. I’m a huge fan, and I’m so grateful,” Jaffe said. “The time and effort they spent (on this report) would have taken me a year-plus to do. The analysis helps us realize there is potential for us to reach more people from underprivileged neighborhoods who we assumed were visiting the center. The information not only puts us in touch with those in the low-income housing areas we are serving, but it also shows where we can do a better job in soliciting funds, since we are a free facility. It was a huge project that Matt Barrows’ team did for us.”

Barrows and his supervisor, Craig Stepien, FPL director of Technology & Quality, credit the company’s cultural focus on innovation with inspiring the collaboration.

“Often innovation can be stifled before it has a chance to take off. Much like a coach, my job as a supervisor is to encourage employees to swing the bat without fear of missing the ball,” Stepien said. “Creativity and original idea creation do not take predetermined paths, so it’s important to encourage employees to explore and try. Fostering that kind of environment is what enables innovation to take place.”

Loggerhead Marinelife Center, 14200 U.S. Highway 1, Juno Beach, FL, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of Florida’s coastal ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. In 2010, the center successfully rehabilitated and released a record-breaking 122 sea turtle patients. To learn more, visit http://www.marinelife.org.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com