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In Florida, we can say that investments in resilience, both in the human spirit and in a stronger, smarter energy grid, result in benefits for everyone who see the Sunshine State as a great place to grow a business and raise a family. During Hurricane Irma, the resilience of FPL's stronger, smarter grid was put to the test. These investments shaved days off power restoration. In fact, this was the fastest power restoration of the largest number of people by any one utility company in U.S. history. The focus now is on the economic recovery already underway, which challenges the resiliency of the character of the residents of Florida.
That's why the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) knows it is critical to share disaster recovery best practices with our partners who engage with site selection professionals. As the current Chair of FEDC, I am proud to announce that we are bringing the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) team to Florida to offer four workshops to economic development professionals about disaster recovery, specifically how to prepare communities for the economic rebound that follows natural disasters. Look for more information from FEDC soon.
And in the spirit of partnership, we want to thank you for being a strong partner in economic development and for supporting our team for the past six years. At our company, we focus on continuous improvement and in that vein, FPL has asked Boyette Strategic Advisors (Boyette) to work with us on creating a long-term strategic program of work. Your input is integral to this process and we ask that you complete a short online survey that should not take more than five to seven minutes of your time. We ask that you be honest in your assessment, knowing that your responses are confidential. This is a way for us to learn from you and improve our strategy to better support Florida's economic development future.
And in the spirit of sharing, I would like to officially welcome and announce our newest team member, Frances Helen Dempsey, who arrived just prior to Hurricane Irma's arrival. Mary, Luke, baby brother George and Frances are doing well.
As we move into the final quarter of 2017, I wanted to remind you of the data center tax policy that passed this year, making Florida more competitive by allowing it to join 31 other states with such incentives and only one of four states that exempts electricity for critical IT load. The Florida Department of Revenue has created an application for this tax incentive for the temporary emergency rule. It will take six months to make a permanent rule so this emergency rule application will be used until the permanent rule is created in the first half of 2018. This new tax policy is meant to attract larger power users, require data centers to make a minimum capital investment of $150 million and have a critical IT load of 15 megawatts.
Lastly, I am excited to share that U.S. executives ranked Florida as the #2 Best State for Business in a survey conducted by Development Counsellors International (DCI). This shows that our collective efforts continue to make Florida a top destination for business.
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Crystal Stiles
Director of FPL's Office of Economic Development
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| FPL Resources
External marketing website with property listings from Florida's 67 counties.
Evaluate your community's competitive advantages and access corporate databases for recruitment.
Helping small businesses increase competitiveness and market share.
Information on prequalified sites and Florida's data center recruitment efforts.
Find out if a property is within FPL's service territory.
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Incentives and Rates
Eligible businesses must create at least 25 new jobs per 350 kW of new demand.
Eligible businesses must have a load of 2,000 kW or greater served by a single meter, and be part of a competitive project with opportunities for lower rates outside FPL territory.
See how FPL's latest rates compare.
Rate Quote Worksheet
Use this worksheet to fill in required information to receive a rate quote.
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We want your feedback as we develop our long-term strategic program of work
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FPL has asked Boyette Strategic Advisors to work with us on creating a long-term strategic program of work.
Your input is integral to this process and we ask that you complete a short online survey that should not take more than five to seven minutes of your time.
Your responses will be kept confidential and will only be included in an overall summary of what Boyette learns from all respondents.
We ask that you be honest in your assessment as this is a way for us to learn from you and improve our strategy to better support Florida's economic development infrastructure.
Please complete the survey by October 18, 2017. If you have questions while completing the survey, please contact Reteisha Byrd at 501.604.6121 or [email protected].
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Application now available for data center tax incentives
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The Florida Department of Revenue has created an application for the temporary emergency rule for Florida's data center tax exemption. The application will be available on The Florida Department of Revenue website soon. In the meantime, please save a copy of the form included in this newsletter. The permanent rule should be in place in the first half of 2018.
Applying for data center tax exemptions under the temporary emergency rule:
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New additions to FPL's Office of Economic Development Team
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We are pleased to announce that Frances Helen Dempsey joined the world on September 6 weighing
7lb 10oz. The Dempseys, Luke, Mary, George and Frances are doing well and adjusting to life as a family of four.
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U.S. Corporate Executives rank Florida #2 Best State for Business in 2017
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| Florida ranks second among the 50 states for having the best business climate, according to a new survey of U.S. corporate executives released today at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference in Toronto. Texas ranked first. Georgia ranked third, followed by South Carolina and North Carolina, respectively. Read more |
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Contact FPL's Office of Economic Development
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