Aug. 19--Nearly 5 million homes and businesses are expected to be getting their electricity from Florida Power & Light Co. in 2014.

That's 5 million homes and businesses filled with people using power-hungry air conditioners, televisions and computers all the time, placing more demands on FPL's system.

Just Wednesday, FPL's system reached a record peak of 22,361 megawatts.

FPL says it needs to build more power plants to make sure all those customers can have electricity anytime they want it.

On Thursday, the utility opened competitive bidding for the "West County Energy Center," two 1,100-megawatt natural-gas-fired turbines in western Palm Beach County that would begin operating in 2009 and 2010.

Included in information for potential bidders is a notice about a planned 850-megawatt "clean coal" plant of at least two units in southwestern St. Lucie County that would begin generating power in 2012 and 2013. FPL will start the formal bidding on that plant next year.

"We're experiencing such significant growth in Florida," FPL spokeswoman Kathy Scott said Thursday. "We have to plan ahead, and this is looking out beyond the two power plants that we put up this summer."

FPL, the utility arm of Juno Beach-based FPL Group Inc. (NYSE: FPL, $40.90), is posting on its Web site Sept. 9 a request for proposals from power plant developers. Proposals must be submitted by 4 p.m. Nov. 9.

State law requires FPL to entertain bids from other vendors to see if any meet the project requirements and are more cost- effective.

The utility has a history of building projects itself, however. State regulators give final approval on any proposed project.

Two public sessions to discuss the plant requirements will be held in Miami on Sept. 7 and Sept. 14.

Because of its customer numbers, FPL has the most aggressive growth plans of the state's large utilities.

"Obviously Florida Power & Light would have the greatest need to increase capacity based on population," said Kevin Bloom, spokesman for the Florida Public Service Commission.

The demand for electricity nationwide is expected to increase by more than 50 percent between now and 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration.

Although utilities and consumers are encouraged to take steps to conserve energy, companies eventually have to build more plants to replace older ones, said Jason Cuevas, a spokesman with the Edison Electric Institute in Washington.

"Utilities need to plan for the future, and some of that includes building new generation, especially in a state like Florida that has had such a growth in population and will see its population continue to grow," Cuevas said.