NextEra Energy’s Eric Silagy to retire; successor named

NextEra Energy, Inc. announced Wednesday that Eric Silagy, Florida Power & Light Company’s chairman, president, and CEO, is retiring.

Silagy spent 20 years with NextEra, including 11 years leading FPL. The company said Armando Pimentel will return to NextEra to serve as president and CEO of FPL, while John Ketchum, current chairman, president and CEO of NextEra, will serve as chairman of FPL.

“I want to thank Eric for his 20 years of dedicated service to our company, our customers, and the communities where we do business,” Ketchum said. “Eric is a passionate advocate for continuous improvement, and under his leadership, FPL has transformed into the nation’s largest electric utility, providing our customers with the country’s most reliable service with bills significantly lower than the national average. His commitment to putting customers first was on full display last year during hurricanes Ian and Nicole, where his dedication, commitment, and compassion drove the FPL team to restore power in record time and quickly put the state of Florida back on its feet.”

Silagy worked for NextEra for nearly 20 years, serving as senior vice president of regulatory and state government affairs and as chief development officer overseeing all generation development, including solar, natural gas, and nuclear energy projects. Silagy also served as vice president and general manager of the southern region and vice president of business development.

“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,” Silagy said. “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.”

Ketchum said Pimentel previously was a member of NextEra’s senior executive team between 2008 and 2019, serving as NextEra Energy’s and FPL’s CFO. In 2011, he served as president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC., until his retirement in 2019.

Pimentel will take up his new position at FPL on Feb. 15, 2023, where he will work with Silagy on the transition of responsibilities. Silagy’s last day with NextEra Energy is May 15, 2023.