Going by the US Department of Energy data, FPL’s power plants produced 845 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour of electricity compared to the industry average of 1,297 pounds per megawatt, primarily because of the company’s investments in clean electric generating facilities.
In recent years, FPL has been upgrading its fleet of fossil fuel plants to combined cycle natural gas units that are fuel efficient and provide low emission, saving customers money on fuel costs and keeping the air cleaner.
Nearly 90% of the company’s generation now comes from low-emissions natural gas units and emissions free nuclear units, according to FPL.
FPL is also investing in emissions-free solar power. Earlier this month, FPL’s Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center opened near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
This is the second of three solar facilities in Florida that the company has completed to power its customers. In total, the three plants will generate 110MW of energy.
FPL’s initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment extend to energy-efficient lighting in office areas and parking lots, infrared hand dryers to reduce paper waste and recycling efforts at specific sites that have reduced landfill usage by a third.
Furthermore, through its growing Green Fleet program, FPL claims to have saved tens of thousands of gallons of fuel and reduced its carbon footprint.
More than half of FPL’s approximately 2,500 vehicles are powered with biodiesel, and by the end of 2010, approximately one-third will be hybrids. The company’s long-term goal is for all new vehicles to be electric or plug-in hybrid electric by 2020.
