JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc., parent company of Florida Power & Light Company, today announced that for the fourth consecutive year, it has been named to HispanicBusiness Magazine's 2012 list of the nation's best companies for diversity practices.

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"We're extremely pleased and honored to be named to this prestigious list for the fourth consecutive year," said Deborah Caplan, executive vice president of Human Resources and Corporate Services for NextEra Energy. "As part of our diversity and inclusion strategic plan, we recruit and develop a diverse and talented workforce that is reflective of the customers we serve, and we are committed to providing award-winning customer service that is second to none in our industry. Key to that commitment is ensuring an inclusive work environment that leverages our employees' incredibly unique talents and contributions, allowing us to be as responsive as possible to the needs of our customers." 

HispanicBusiness Magazine's annual list honors companies for their commitment to Hispanic hiring, promotion, marketing, philanthropy and supplier diversity. About 33 percent of the employees hired by NextEra Energy in 2012 were minorities and 17 percent of these were Hispanics. At FPL, 24 percent of its workforce is Hispanic.

NextEra Energy focuses on Hispanic markets as part of its advertising program and sponsors a wide range of social, economic development, educational and community-based initiatives throughout Hispanic communities. Nearly 20 percent of the company's advertising efforts are focused on Spanish-speaking customers, and approximately 10 percent of the company's total purchases during the fiscal year ending 2012 was with small business and minority contractors. In addition, the company contributed nearly $230,000 to minority groups and community services, and millions more in indirect contributions.  

This year, NextEra Energy employees formed HOLA, or the Hispanic Organization of Latino Americans. As one of the 10 employee network groups, HOLA promotes employees' diverse talents and fosters an inclusive business environment. Its members benefit from information sharing, career development, mentoring and team building. HOLA supports our corporate diversity and inclusion strategy and recognizes the value that Hispanic/Latino employees bring to the company's inclusive work environment.

HispanicBusiness Magazine's complete list of Best Companies for Diversity and its State of Annual Diversity Report 2012 are available at http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/rankings/diversity_companies.

Earlier this year, NextEra Energy was honored for the seventh consecutive year as the number one company in its sector in Fortune magazine's annual "Most Admired Companies" list. Other honors this year include: one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute for the sixth time; Computerworld's "Best Places to Work in IT" list for the second year; and, for the eighth time, the "Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award" by the National Business Group on Health.

For more information on many of NextEra Energy's social responsibility initiatives, please view the company's latest sustainability report at www.NextEraEnergy.com.

NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $14.3 billion, more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and nearly 15,000 employees in 26 states and Canada as of year-end 2012. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves approximately 4.6 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and 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. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from eight commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.

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