FPL announces three pre-qualified data center sites

Locations offer reliable, redundant power, fiber infrastructure and competitive costs

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Mar 18, 2015, 02:43 ET

JUNO BEACH, Fla., March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced the certification of three new pre-qualified data center sites within its 35-county service territory. Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS), a leading economics and site selection firm, which was commissioned by FPL to conduct the study, reviewed a combination of factors to identify the most attractive sites for data centers in Florida. The criteria included reliable and redundant power, fiber infrastructure, competitive cost structures and locations insulated from man-made and natural risks.

The three pre-qualified sites provide operators a wide variety of usage, from stand-alone enterprises to co-location facilities, access to utilities, proximity to major highways and metropolitan areas, favorable demographics, site logistics and security. The sites are:

Jupiter Research Park, near West Palm Beach, offering 10 acres; zoning pre-approval for a 160,000-square foot building
Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park, near Sarasota, offering 56 acres of undeveloped land; space to build a 100,000-square foot "white space"
Nassau Crossing Industrial Park, in northeast Florida near Jacksonville, offering 20-30 acres at 40 feet above sea level; space to build 60,000-100,000 square feet of "white space"

"The BLS study has provided us with special insight in order to understand the unique needs of data center operators and how FPL can be a partner in helping these companies succeed," said Lynn Pitts, director of economic development for FPL. "With tech hiring booming and sunny Florida as an ideal backdrop for business, we look forward to welcoming new companies to the Sunshine State and helping businesses that already call Florida home to continue to grow and prosper."

In addition to these three pre-qualified locations, FPL offers businesses discounted electric rates and reliable infrastructure while also leveraging Florida's vast long-haul and international fiber network. Florida has also been ranked number two in tech hiring by The Dice Report and number two for Best Business Climate by Business Facilities Magazine.

In 2014, FPL added a negotiable rate, known as the Commercial Industrial Service Rate (CISR), for big power users such as data centers. In order to negotiate this rate, potential or existing businesses must, among other requirements, have a load of 2,000 kilowatts or greater, served by a single meter. FPL also offers discounted electric rates that are designed for new and expanding businesses that meet certain electricity usage criteria and create jobs for Floridians. While FPL's rates are already significantly lower than the national average, the discounted rates serve as an added incentive for companies considering moving to or expanding in Florida.

Together with its energy service affiliate, Sugarloaf Associates, BLS designed a three-phase evaluation process that analyzed the electric supply and capacity, electricity costs, access to long- and short-haul fiber providers, water availability, tax exemptions and incentives, demographics, vendor/supplier networks and the ability to complete construction over a period of 18 months. Further studies are underway to identify additional sites to respond to market demand.

"Within the FPL service area, there is a significant amount of fiber access," says Tim Comerford, senior vice president of BLS's energy services team. "Couple that with their utility infrastructure, and I think you have a great combination for site selection within Florida."

To help data center site selectors, real estate professionals, economic development partners and businesses looking to relocate or expand in Florida, FPL created a one-stop online resource center at PoweringFlorida.com. The site features detailed fact sheets on these three pre-qualified sites and tools to access comprehensive, objective data. It helps economic development partners build community evaluations and proposals to determine if Florida is the right fit for relocating and expanding businesses. Since FPL began offering discounted rates for economic development in the state, 49 companies have signed up to participate, creating more than 8,000 jobs.

To request the full study or to learn more about Florida's pre-qualified data center sites, discounted electric rates and more, visit PoweringFlorida.com/datacenter.

About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving more than 4.7 million customer accounts across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 25 percent lower than the national average and, in 2014, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the fifth year in a row. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company was recognized in 2014 as the most trusted U.S. electric utility by Market Strategies International, and has earned the national ServiceOne Award for outstanding customer service for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a leading clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, including being named to Fortune's list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

About Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS & Co.)
BLS & Co.is a leading location economics consulting firm offering a unique mix of core skills to help companies make location decisions and state and local jurisdictions compete for private sector jobs and investment. BLS & Co. is distinguished by a multi-disciplinary approach to Economic Development Incentives Advisory Services, Site Selection, Energy Services, and Land Use Strategies and Approvals. The firm is headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in New York and Chicago. http://www.blsstrategies.com

Sugarloaf Associates is a BLS-affiliated, specially-designed interdisciplinary division focused on assisting companies, developers, municipalities and real estate advisors with issues pertaining to energy procurement, renewable installation, infrastructure assessments utility relocation, with a special focus on mission critical facilities.

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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company