Energy company FPL Group Inc. (FPL) today reported adjusted net earnings of $1.38 per share for the third quarter of 2009, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.39 and above $1.25 reported last year. The improvement from last year’s results was due to positive contributions from FPL’s NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary, offset by a decline in customer base at the Florida Power & Light subsidiary.  Total revenue during the quarter declined to $4,473 million from $5,387 million a year ago. Revenue at Florida Power & Light Company declined 3.6% year-over-year to $3,301 million, primarily due to the economic challenges faced at Florida. NextEra Energy Resources’ revenue in the quarter was down 40.7% from last year at $1,136 million, due to unfavorable market conditions for the company’s fossil power plants in Texas and below normal wind resource across the fleet.  At Florida Power & Light ...

Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) has announced plans to deliver electricity to customers from the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia – the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the country – by October-end. The plant would use 90,000 photovoltaic panels to convert solar energy into electricity lighting up above 3,000 homes. Earlier, Nevada’s Nellis Solar Power Plant was considered the largest PV plant in the country.   Together with the DeSoto Center the company plans to build two other solar energy centers in Florida – at the Martin County and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with total capacity of the three plants being 110 megawatts by end of 2010. These plants together would make Florida the second largest solar power-producing state in the country.   Large-scale solar projects such as Florida Power’s DeSoto Center creates additional jobs and also increases the revenues of governments,

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Yesterday, oil and natural gas firm Comstock Resources Inc. (CRK) provided an operational update about its recently completed third quarter.  Average production was up 9% sequentially to about 184 million cubic feet equivalent per day (MMcfe/d), reflecting the success of Comstock’s enhanced onshore drilling programs. The company drilled a total of 9 wells during the quarter, with a 100% success rate.  This year, Comstock’s drilling programs are focused on developing its Haynesville shale properties in East Texas and North Louisiana . As part of that effort, the company drilled 7 successful wells in DeSoto Parish , North Louisiana during the third quarter (3 wells are in Toledo Bend North field, 3 in the Logansport field and one is in the Mansfield field), which had an average per well initial production rate of approximately 15.6 MMcfe/d. These results were up 23% from the 7 wells that were reported ...