JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it has received a best-in-class preparedness assessment in S&P Global Ratings' Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Evaluation. NextEra Energy's final ESG Evaluation score, 86, is expected to be one of the highest rankings to be given by S&P Global Ratings to any corporate entity within the sector. The best-in-class preparedness assessment, which is anticipated to be applied by S&P Global Ratings only in rare circumstances, reflects NextEra Energy's ability to identify long-term risks and develop and implement plans to mitigate these challenges into new opportunities, distinguishing the company from its peers amid the disruptive forces facing the industry. S&P Global Ratings assessed NextEra Energy's preparedness for all of the company's ESG factors as either good, strong or leading, the top three possible scores. The report specifically highlights NextEra Energy's clean generation profile, code and values, strong safety management program, and leading customer engagement driven by low bills, high reliability and outstanding customer service.

The ESG Evaluation by S&P Global Ratings is a cross-sector, relative analysis of a company's ability to operate successfully both now and in the future. The resulting scores reflect an organization's sustainability efforts and can help investors better understand the company's strategy, purpose and management quality, especially in the increasingly important areas of environmental, social and governance.

"We are pleased to be recognized for our leading ESG efforts by S&P Global Ratings," said Jim Robo, NextEra Energy chairman and CEO. "We are deeply committed to doing well by doing good, and that means respecting our environment, providing value for our customers, sustaining our communities, focusing on continuous improvement and innovation, investing in our team and growing shareholder value. Today, we are furthering our commitment to the environment with the announcement of a new goal to continue reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. This goal underscores our deep commitment to environmental protection and stewardship, one of the key areas of our company's sustainability efforts. At NextEra Energy, we firmly believe that we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape how energy is produced and delivered. By investing in smart infrastructure and innovative clean energy solutions, we're helping build a sustainable energy future that is affordable, efficient and clean, while at the same time creating tens of thousands of jobs and generating economic benefits for the communities we serve."

This recognition from S&P Global Ratings comes in concurrence with NextEra Energy's announcement of a new emissions reduction goal. For decades, NextEra Energy has been reducing emissions through the development of renewable energy and modernization of its generation fleet. The company's new goal is to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions rate by 67% by 2025, from a 2005 baseline. This equates to a nearly 40% reduction in absolute CO₂ emissions, despite the company's total expected electricity production almost doubling over that time. To put this into perspective, if all of the nation's utilities were able to achieve NextEra Energy's projected 2025 emissions rate, absolute CO₂ emissions for the power sector would be approximately 75% lower than they were in 2005. NextEra Energy expects to periodically update its CO₂ emissions goal as it continues to execute on its strategy of being a leading clean energy infrastructure company.

NextEra Energy also has published its annual sustainability report, which is now available on NextEraEnergy.com/Sustainability. The report includes performance-based data regarding NextEra Energy's environmental and social activities in 2018, as well as highlights the company's leadership in renewable energy and battery storage, significant investments in infrastructure, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, commitment to community, customer and employee support, and focus on innovation and continuous improvement.

The annual sustainability report includes metrics and stories in the following categories:

• Respecting the environment: NextEra Energy has one of the lowest emissions profiles of any electric company in North America. In 2018, NextEra Energy achieved its lowest-ever emissions rates of CO₂, sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x) – rates that were 96%, 81% and 55% lower, respectively, than the U.S. electric sector averages.
• Outstanding customer value: NextEra Energy is committed to providing its customers with clean energy that is both affordable and reliable. Since 2001, the company's investments in infrastructure have saved customers nearly $10 billion by making its power plants more efficient and using less fuel to generate electricity.
• Sustaining communities: As part of the company's Power to Care volunteer program, NextEra Energy employees contributed more than 85,000 hours in 2018 to their local communities through company-sponsored projects and personal volunteer time.
• Investing in the team: NextEra Energy employees spent more than 1.1 million hours in 2018 growing their skills, completing classroom, field and online courses throughout NextEra University and other venues.
• Growing shareholder value: NextEra Energy has a long-term track record of delivering value to shareholders. Over the last 15 years, NextEra Energy has outperformed every one of the companies in the S&P 500 Utilities Index and 82% of the companies in the S&P 500.

To learn more about NextEra Energy's commitment to sustainability and to view the entire sustainability report, visit NextEraEnergy.com/Sustainability.

This recent honor from S&P Global Ratings is the latest recognition for NextEra Energy. Earlier this year, NextEra Energy was named No. 1 in its sector on Fortune's list of "Most Admired Companies" for the 12th time in 13 years and, in 2018, was ranked by Fortune among the top 25 companies that "Change the World." NextEra Energy was also named by Forbes in 2019 as one of America's Best Employers, as well as recognized for the 12th time by Ethisphere Institute as one of its World's Most Ethical Companies, becoming one of only 14 current honorees in the world to achieve this prestigious honor 12 or more times.

NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns two electric companies in Florida: Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 5 million customer accounts in Florida and is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold; and Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout northwest Florida. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. 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. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2019 list of "World's Most Admired Companies" and ranked among the top 25 on Fortune's 2018 list of companies that "Change the World." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.