JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Silagy has been appointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for a two-year term. Silagy joins an influential group of 100 business leaders who champion the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors and regions.

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"I'm pleased and honored to have the opportunity to work alongside chamber and business leaders from across the country to advocate for pro-business legislation and advance issues that are critically important as we navigate today's competitive landscape," said Silagy. "Florida continues its strong economic rebound, attracting new good-paying jobs from around the country, and I look forward to engaging with my colleagues in sharing what has worked for us in ensuring a robust business climate here in the Sunshine State."

Silagy has been with FPL and its parent company NextEra Energy, Inc. for more than a decade, having served as senior vice president of regulatory and state governmental affairs, chief development officer, and vice president of business development among other positions. Prior to joining NextEra Energy, he served as vice president, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures at Entergy Wholesale Operations, and as vice president and managing director, Southeast Asia, for The Wing Group, a subsidiary of Western Resources. He also worked for U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana in several capacities, including chief of staff.

"The Chamber's volunteer leadership plays a crucial role in helping to set our policy positions, to serve our members, and to advance our free enterprise mission," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. "Eric has deep experience in some of our top issue areas, like energy and regulations, and a proven track record of leadership. We welcome him to the Chamber board and look forward to his contributions over the course of his service."

Silagy is the immediate-past Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center.


    --  Eric Silagy bio and photo

Florida Power & Light Company
 Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving approximately 4.8 million customer accounts across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest 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 clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, including being ranked in the top 10 worldwide for innovativeness and community responsibility as part of Fortune's 2015 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 world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company