JUNO BEACH, Fla. — On Jan. 4, FPL will begin accepting applications for its new Main Street Recovery Credit Program, offering credits to qualifying small businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
FPL’s Main Street Recovery Credit Program is the latest of several initiatives, the total of which are valued at more than $75 million, that the company implemented to show support of adversely impacted customers during the global pandemic.
Establishments in FPL’s service area that are eligible to apply for the program include:
• New small businesses
• Small businesses that were inactive for at least six consecutive months after March 2020
• Existing small businesses operating in federally designated Opportunity Zones in FPL’s service area Qualifying small businesses would receive a monthly 10% credit based on the previous month’s energy charge portion of their electric bill for the duration of the program. The company will implement the FPL Main Street Recovery Credit Program for qualifying small businesses in January and offer bill credits through the end of 2021.
Recent studies show the pandemic’s toll on the state’s 2.7 million small businesses. Florida ranks fourth in the nation for business closures with 5,300 permanent closures and 3,300 temporary closures, according to a Yelp economic report.
“We know that COVID-19’s unpredictability and disruptiveness has made life very difficult for all Floridians, so we are continuing to work hard to find innovative ways to help our customers get through this challenging time,” said FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy. “This new initiative will help alleviate some of the financial pressure facing our small businesses and independent stores that make up the fabric of our communities. We’re committed to helping Florida get back up on her feet and this program is one more way FPL is helping to rebuild our economy and move the state forward.”
Interested businesses can visit FPL.com/MainStreetRecovery to fill out an application to determine if they qualify for the program.
