JUNO BEACH, Fla. – NextEra Energy, Inc. has been named to the 2010 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) of the leading companies in North America for corporate sustainability. The DJSI North America selects the top 20 percent of companies in sustainability performance from the 600 largest companies in North America.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be named for the second year in a row to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. At NextEra Energy, sustainability is encoded in our DNA. Not only are we the nation’s No. 1 producer of renewable energy from the wind and the sun, but we’ve outperformed the S&P 500 in total shareholder return by 262 percentage points over the 10 years ending in 2009. This economic success enables us to fulfill our commitment to being a good neighbor in the communities we serve,” said Lew Hay, NextEra Energy chairman and CEO.
The corporate sustainability assessments on which this year’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index was based included more than 100 economic, environmental and social variables, with a focus on long-term development of corporate value. Topics evaluated included corporate governance, risk and crisis management, human capital development, and the quality of environmental and social reporting. In addition, sector-specific risks and opportunities arising from various sustainability trends were analyzed.
“We take a best-in-class approach in our assessments,” according to Rodrigo Amandi, managing director for Sustainable Asset Management, the investment research firm that conducts the DJSI research. “The international recognition enjoyed by the DJSI makes the prospect of index membership an important incentive for participating companies. It enhances both their reputation and their appeal to sustainability investors, offering them access to an additional pool of capital.”
Among its other awards, NextEra Energy is ranked as a top 10 company worldwide for innovation by Fortune magazine and No. 1 on the Fortune “World’s Most Admired Companies” list in its sector for the fourth year in a row. Last month, NextEra Energy ranked among the top 20 companies in corporate governance out of 4,100 companies evaluated by Governance Metrics International (GMI). Earlier this year, the company was named one of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens” for 2010 by Corporate Responsibility magazine.
NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with 2009 revenues of more than $15 billion, nearly 43,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and more than 15,000 employees in 28 states and Canada. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy’s principal subsidiaries are NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun, and Florida Power & Light Company, which serves approximately 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the country. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy collectively operates the third largest U.S. nuclear power generation fleet. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com, www.FPL.com.