JUNO BEACH, Fla., Dec. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that for the second consecutive year the Association of ERGs and Councils has named NextEra Energy a recipient of its premier national award that celebrates the outstanding achievements of employee resource groups (ERGs), business resource groups (BRGs) and diversity councils. In its eighth year, the ERG and Council Honors Award™ recognizes organizations committed to diversity and inclusion for their programs' results, management commitment, measurement and accountability, and communication and education. NextEra Energy again this year was the only large U.S. electric utility company to receive a Top 25 ranking.

"At NextEra Energy, our team of 14,300 talented employees is our greatest competitive advantage," said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. "We're always working to strengthen our team and one way we do so is by making our workplace more inclusive. Being recognized today for our strong track record in diversity and inclusion speaks directly to that effort. I'm very proud of our entire team, including the many NextEra Energy employees who are active in our employee resource groups, as well as other activities that foster an inclusive culture. Whether they're learning new skills, serving customers in new ways, or taking on special community projects, it's really all about delivering sustainable value."

"NextEra Energy's Corporate Diversity Council scored very high in accountability and high in the areas of talent management, creating a culture of inclusion, middle management demonstrated commitment and communication," said Fernando Serpa, executive director of the Association of ERGs and Councils. "The Council competed against a national field of 1,279 ERGs, BRGs and diversity councils to make the Top 25 for the second consecutive year. This is a testament to the impact this group is having on their workforce, marketplace and community."   

NextEra Energy's Corporate Diversity Council provides strategic oversight, guidance and direction to corporate-wide engagement, diversity and inclusion initiatives by ensuring alignment with business objectives and collaboration across business units. The council is also responsible for overseeing activities of the company's 11 ERGs, including developing strategies to leverage and engage the groups in the corporate diversity and inclusion strategy, career development, skill building and community involvement. This overall strategy helps make the company smarter, more adaptable and more reflective of its customer base.

Among the numerous NextEra Energy initiatives processed and scored for this recognition are:

• Business development: The company's Corporate Diversity Council and business unit senior leaders leveraged meetings with the ERGs to gain valuable input and feedback on new product development and services ideas. As a result, 100 new initiatives were introduced to increase revenue.
• Talent management: The executive sponsor and senior members of the African American Professional ERG identified a need to enhance the development of the group's membership and bring a greater awareness of internal talent. They launched a leadership council to serve as mentors, conduct skill set reviews, identify top talent within the group and build their commercial skills, executive presence and personal marketing. The result was the recognition and promotion of four employees.
• Culture of inclusion: The Women in Energy ERG has always prided itself on helping members of the community. The group wanted to increase its presence by identifying organizations with a specific focus on women. The group partnered with the external affairs team to identify organizations in need. As a result, the group represented the company in the Dress for Success, Habitat for Humanity Women Build and Hope House Florida for Human Trafficking Victims initiatives.
• Management engagement: ERG leaders have reached out to members who are middle managers outside of their own departments to speak with them about ERGs. In turn, the managers are referring their employees to the groups. ERGs are also reaching out to middle managers to participate in event and volunteer activities. The result has been an increase to 1,300 from around 700 in the number of employees who are ERG members.

The ERG and Council Honors Award™ is the latest recognition for NextEra Energy, which has long been committed to building a top-notch workforce and challenging its team to help solve America's energy challenges sustainably and responsibly. During the past year alone, the company has been recognized as being No.1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune magazine's 2016 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and A World's Most Ethical Company^® by the Ethisphere Institute for the ninth time.                    

See the complete list of honorees, as well as additional information on this awards program, at

http://www.ergcouncilconference.com/honors-award-2016-recipients.html. Learn more about NextEra Energy's diversity and inclusion strategies and activities by viewing its most recent corporate responsibility report at www.NextEraEnergy.com/crr.

NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion and approximately 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2015, as well as approximately 45,000 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) as of April 2016. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 4.8 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 world's largest generator 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. A Fortune 200 company and included in the S&P 100 index, NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2016 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.