- Florida Power & Light CEO Eric Silagy is retiring after more than a decade leading the utility company.
- He has worked for NextEra Energy, FPL’s parent company, for nearly two decades.
- Silagy will officially exit the company in May.
Eric Silagy, chairman, president and CEO of Florida Power & Light (FPL) and a prominent figure in Florida’s political arena, is retiring after more than a decade as head of the utility company.
In a news release from NextEra Energy, FPL’s parent company, Silagy announced that he was exiting his role to become vice president-transition of FPL on Feb. 15 before officially retiring from the company on May 15.
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead the FPL team for more than a decade and I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments we have delivered to our customers and the state of Florida,” said Silagy. “Over the last decade, we have transformed FPL’s generation fleet into one of the cleanest, most reliable and lowest-cost portfolios in the country, delivered award-winning customer service, ensured bills are significantly lower than the national average and provided our customers the best grid reliability in the country. These results are the consequence of the hard work and dedication of our nearly 10,000 FPL employees, who every day put the customer first and always strive to innovate and do better. I know the future is bright and that I am leaving the company in great hands.”
Silagy has worked for NextEra Energy for nearly two decades. He was appointed president of FPL in December 2011, CEO in May 2014 and chairman in March 2022, according to the company’s website. Prior to helming the Juno Beach-based power utility, Silagy served as senior vice president of regulatory and state governmental affairs and as chief development officer, managing all generation development, including solar, natural gas and nuclear energy projects. He also spent time working for NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, where he served as vice president and general manager of the southern region, and vice president of business development.
Prior to joining NextEra Energy, Silagy served as vice president, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures at Entergy Wholesale Operations, and as vice president and managing director, Southeast Asia, for The Wing Group, a subsidiary of Western Resources. He also worked for U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana in several capacities, including chief of staff.
Additionally, Silagy is a former chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and was elected in November as chairman of the Florida Council of 100, an influential group of business leaders. He is also the vice chairman of the state university system’s Board of Governors.
With his exit, Armando Pimentel, who previously served in several senior executive roles with NextEra Energy, will rejoin the company and is to be named president and CEO. John Ketchum, chairman, president and CEO, NextEra Energy, will also be named chairman.
“When John became CEO of NextEra Energy last year, I committed to him that I would stay in my role for at least one more year and I’ve now satisfied that commitment,” Silagy added. “While saying ‘goodbye’ to such a great organization is always difficult, I know that now is the right time for me to hand over the reins of FPL.”
Following the announcement of his departure, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis thanked Silagy for his service to the Sunshine State.
“Thank you, Eric for your service to the State of Florida. As you always said – “It’s not a sprint, it’s a march” – and your steadfast leadership helped guide FPL through sunny skies and storms. Good luck in your next endeavor my friend,” Patronis posted on Twitter. “Your hard work will be missed!