JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of
FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL), today announced that it will construct, operate
and own a 517-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant in Blythe, California.
Located midway between Los Angeles and Phoenix, the new plant will be one
of the largest independent power generation projects in California.
Electricity generated at the Blythe plant will have the capacity to power more
than 500,000 homes in the state, and its output will be sold in the state's
wholesale market. Given the plant's proximity to Arizona and Nevada, its
power could be sold into those adjacent markets as conditions warrant.
Construction of the advanced technology, combined-cycle facility began in
May 2001. The plant, 200 miles east of Los Angeles, is expected to begin
commercial operation in early 2003.
"We are pleased to do our part in helping to alleviate the power shortfall
in California by providing efficient, clean energy from this new plant," said
Lew Hay, FPL Group president and chief executive officer.
Mr. Hay added, "The Blythe plant complements quite well our existing power
generation portfolio in the region." He said the independent power producer
currently operates 1,188 megawatts of generation and owns 542 megawatts in
California. More than three-quarters of its California-based power plants
generate electricity from renewable sources including wind and solar.
Participating in the project will be Caithness Energy, LLC, the original
developer of the project.
FPL Energy is a leading independent producer of clean energy, including
natural gas, wind, solar and hydroelectric. It owns and operates power plants
with more than 4,300 total net megawatts in 13 states across the country. The
company has announced projects that will add more than 6,000 megawatts of
capacity to its portfolio by the end of 2003. Most of those projects are
already under construction.
FPL Group, with annual revenues of more than $7 billion, is one of the
nation's largest providers of electricity-related services. FPL Group's
principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's
largest electric utilities, serving more than seven million people in Florida.
Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.fplenergy.com,
http://www.fplgroup.com and http://www.fpl.com.
SOURCE FPL Energy, LLC
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Related links:
http://www.fplenergy.com
CONTACT:
Carol Clawson, Corporate Communications of
FPL Energy, LLC, 888-867-3050
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