JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group (NYSE: FPL) said today that in an effort to meet the increased demand for highly skilled employees in the wind energy business in Texas and throughout the region it has formed a partnership with Texas State Technical College West Texas to educate and train students in wind turbine technology.
As part of the partnership, FPL Energy will assist TSTC West Texas with its curriculum by offering subject matter experts and faculty adjuncts; allow opportunities for participants to interact with FPL Energy wind experts on and off campus; provide paid internships within FPL Energy wind operations; and work with the college to secure the equipment and other resources necessary for laboratory facilities.
TSTC West Texas currently offers a two year degree developed by TSTC faculty in collaboration with program advisory group members of the wind industry including FPL Energy. TSTC West Texas will identify and recruit candidates for the program, handle all marketing efforts related to the program, provide service learning opportunities in the community and develop curriculum that meets the needs of FPL Energy.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Texas State Technical College West Texas on this important educational program,” said Manny Sanchez, vice president, Wind Operations for FPL Energy. “As the largest owner and operator of wind turbines in Texas and throughout the world, having a well trained workforce is critically important to our future growth and ultimate success.”
FPL Energy, through its subsidiaries, invested nearly $1 billion in Texas wind projects in 2006 and currently has 11 wind farms in operation in the state. With a net capacity of more than 1,600 megawatts, the wind plants are capable of generating electricity for close to 400,000 Texas homes. In 2006, the wind farms offset fossil-fueled power generation emissions totaling more than 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide; more than 5,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and over 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxide that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere if not for the wind farms.
FPL Energy owned wind projects in Texas generated more than 3.6 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2006.
FPL Energy is a leading competitive energy supplier utilizing clean fuels such as natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric and nuclear to generate electricity. It is the world’s leader in wind energy, with 49 wind facilities in operation in 15 states. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group, (NYSE: FPL) one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of nearly $16 billion. FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving 4.4 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional information is available at www.FPLEnergy.com, www.FPLGroup.comand www.FPL.com.