FPL awards $39,000 in grants to teachers across Florida to fund renewable energy projects

JUNO BEACH, Fla., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty-seven teachers across the state of Florida have just received a combined $39,000 in grants from Florida Power & Light Company's 2012 Renewable Energy Teacher Grant program. The grants will fund classroom projects to teach students about renewable energy sources and uses.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120301/FL62738LOGO )

Teachers received awards ranging from $500 to $3,000 for projects such as designing and racing solar-powered cars, building solar-powered water heaters, and constructing a wind turbine to power a radio tower for broadcasted school announcements. All projects adhere to the Florida State Board of Education's Sunshine State Standards, and were judged and selected according to stated goals, energy content, creativity, and plans for budget and evaluation.

"FPL's commitment to clean energy includes a commitment to help educate our children about its role in our everyday lives," said Pamela Rauch, vice president of development and external affairs for FPL. "We're proud to join forces with Florida's teachers to create innovative and inspiring ways for students to learn about renewable energy sources and applications, thereby preparing them to lead the way to a cleaner future."

This is the third year of FPL's Renewable Energy Teacher Grant Program, which has now awarded more than $122,000 for 84 teacher projects across FPL's 35-county service territory. The awards come from the NextEra Energy Foundation, which is funded by shareholders of FPL's parent company, NextEra Energy, Inc., the nation's largest producer of renewable energy from the wind and the sun.

Recipients are selected by the National Education Energy Development project (NEED), a non-profit organization working with energy companies and agencies to bring balanced energy curriculum and training to the nation's classrooms.

"As school budgets for science and technology shrink even as the need for education in those fields grows, we are proud to partner with FPL to fill the gap," said NEED Executive Director Mary Spruill. "The Renewable Energy Teacher Grant program, along with curriculum support and teacher training, gives our children critically needed opportunities to gain practical knowledge of today's and tomorrow's environmentally sustainable energy sources."

The Renewable Energy Teacher Grant program is part of FPL's larger commitment to the state. Beyond the teacher projects, FPL has installed Next Generation Solar Energy Station arrays at 14 educational facilities across Florida and built three large-scale solar power plants to supply power to its customers.

The winning teachers include:

BAKER

• Baker County High School – Allison Borszich
• Baker County High School – Amanda Andrews

BREVARD:

• Cocoa High School – Raul Montes
• Edgewood Junior/Senior High School – Mark Chimiak
• Immaculate Conception School – Stephen Hanrahan
• North Area Alternative Learning Center – Chris Wtipil
• Ralph Williams Elementary School – Wendy Sheldon
• Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School – Stacey O'Connor
• Surfside Elementary School – Nancy Rehwoldt

BROWARD:

• Elementary Science Department Core Curriculum – Tina Willis

COLLIER:

• Immalokee High School – Frederick Rimmler
• Parkside Elementary School – Erica Cotto
• Pinecrest Elementary School – Carlene Grossi

MIAMI - DADE

• Central Middle School – Laurie Weiss
• David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center – Laurie Futterman
• North Miami Elementary School – Jan Duemmling

DESOTO

• Desoto Middle School – Robyn E. Oliver

LEE

• Challenger Middle School – David Ernst

MANATEE

• Blackburn Elementary School – Ashley Daymon and MaryAnn Grantham
• Buffalo Creek Middle School – Amy Martin
• Buffalo Creek Middle School – Fay Servoss
• Buffalo Creek Middle School – Jennifer Reynolds
• Buffalo Creek Middle School – Mischa Draime

PALM BEACH

• Palm Beach Atlantic University – Ariel Sharpe
• Palm Beach Atlantic University – Brittany Smith and Jen Bodeman
• Palm Beach Atlantic University – Jenny Moote
• Palm Beach Atlantic University – Kristen Knudsen
• Palm Beach Atlantic University – Kristen Scarcella

ST. LUCIE

• Floresta Elementary School – Mary McCartney
• Floresta Elementary School – Mollie Mukhamedov
• Port St. Lucie High School – K. Cloutier
• Windmill Point Elementary  School– Robin Marmitt
• Morningside Elementary – Mar Lou Jennings

VOLUSIA

• FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools – Kelly Ferguson
• New Smyrna Beach Middle School – Barbara Hawes

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 approximately 4.6 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 10,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while its typical residential customer bills, based on data available in December 2011, are about 25 percent 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 www.FPL.com.

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Co.