FPL
offers discounts off its already-low business rates that are among
the very lowest in the state and well below the national average as
part of the company's ongoing effort to support Florida's future by
helping businesses power economic growth.
Juno
Beach, FL (September 28, 2012) -- Nova Southeastern University
(NSU) opened its new $50 million Center of Excellence for Coral Reef
Ecosystems Research, the largest facility of its kind in the country,
on Sept. 27 in Hollywood, Fla.
The
Center qualified for Florida
Power & Light Company's specially discounted
economic development rate new or expanding businesses that meet
certain minimum requirements in terms of jobs created and added
energy usage, which will save tens of thousands of dollars on
electric bills over four years.
At
a price tag of $50 million, the Center has created 22 new academic
jobs and 300 construction jobs, and it will employ 50 graduate
students as well as preserving 22 existing academic jobs.
"Reefs
across the world are under extreme threat from both global and local
stressors. Research is urgently needed for improved understanding,
management, and conservation. Our research is funded by grants and
contracts, and conducted in a state-of-the-art facility right here in
South Florida," said NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D.
"We are grateful for this discounted rate because savings in
operational expenses translates into an increased ability to keep our
tuition competitive for our students and conduct research activities
that help benefit society."
Protecting
coral reefs also helps to protect the livelihoods of thousands of
South Floridians. Florida is home to 84 percent of the nation's reef
ecosystems. These ecosystems contribute more than $6 billion annually
to South Florida's economy and contribute to a total of roughly
71,000 tourism, government, academic and research-related jobs,
according to NSU.
"We
are very pleased that our economic development rate was able to help
support NSU's efforts to grow their program and create jobs while
also helping to protect the coral reefs that are crucial to the
environment and Florida's economy," said Pam Rauch, FPL's vice
president of development and external affairs.
FPL
offers discounts off its already-low business rates that are among
the very lowest in the state and well below the national average as
part of the company's ongoing effort to support Florida's future by
helping businesses power economic growth. Businesses eligible for
FPL's economic development rate receive a discount on their standard
base energy and demand charges over four to five years. Visit
http://www.PoweringFlorida.com
for more information.
For
more information on the Center, visit
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/excellence
or contact Ken Ma, NSU associate director of public affairs, at
ken.ma@nova.edu
or 954-621-7961. For more information on how to support the Center,
contact Wendy Wood-Derrer, NSU-OC assistant director of development,
at wendyw@nova.edu
or 954-262-3617.
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:
FPL
Media Line
Florida
Power & Light Company
700
Universe Blvd.
Juno
Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
Visit
http://www.PoweringFlorida.com
for more information.
