"What Matters," a recently released report by Gulf Power Company, highlights a lot of what matters to Gulf Power — protecting and restoring the environment, offering innovative programs to customers and building strong communities.

The new publication is the company’s first stewardship report and it showcases some of Gulf Power's most successful environmental stewardship projects and investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The report and Gulf Power's works are being praised by Florida conservation organizations.

“I was impressed to read What Matters and learn how much Gulf Power is doing to help protect and restore our Northwest Florida environment,” said Eric Draper, Audubon Executive Director. “Especially impressive are the habitat restoration projects and programs to monitor coastal birds. The report shows Gulf Power to be strongly committed to stewardship and that matters greatly to Audubon.”  

The report highlights a variety of projects such as Gulf Power’s grants and volunteer work that helped construct Project GreenShores, a 30-acre marsh ecosystem and oyster reef breakwater along the shore of Pensacola Bay; and Gulf Power’s support of restoring the population of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

“The Nature Conservancy appreciates Gulf Power’s conservation commitment, which we have experienced firsthand through donations of employee time and company funds to restore longleaf pine at two of our preserves in the Panhandle,” says Shelly Lakly, Ph.D., Florida Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy. “This report shows the breadth of their interests and longevity of commitments, and we look forward to working together with Gulf Power in the future to protect Florida’s critical forests and ocean.”

The report talks about some of the Gulf Power-supported programs that have helped restore more than 17,700 acres of longleaf forests, plant more than 10 million seedlings and enhance more than 122,000 acres of critical habitat in Florida.

“We thank Gulf Power for its ongoing support of conservation and natural land restoration as reflected in its first Stewardship Report. Of particular note is Gulf Power’s steadfast commitment to increasing the acreage of our iconic longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem,” said Manley K. Fuller, President of the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The report also touches on Gulf Power’s long history of community involvement and efforts to strengthen communities throughout Northwest Florida. Since 2008, the company has supported more than 250 organizations on average each year in the areas of education, health and human services — organizations that make Northwest Florida communities better.

The report also highlights the activities of Gulf Power Transformers, an employee-driven, non-profit organization that is active in the community year-round by contributing employee donations and volunteer hours to organizations like United Way and Ronald McDonald House.

“We put our customers at the center of everything we do and that means working side by side with others in our communities to make Northwest Florida a great place to live, work and play,” said Bentina Terry, Gulf Power's Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Services. “We’re excited to continue working with our stewardship and community partners to help make a positive impact on Northwest Florida’s future.”

Additionally, the utility has launched an interactive website that showcases these efforts online. Go to gulfpower.com/stewardship to view all of the projects featured in the Stewardship Report. The link also includes a PDF version of the Stewardship Report.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”

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