Recently, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved new nuclear cost recovery rates for the state's two major electric utilities. It increased the rates for one and reduced them for the other. Both changes are effective Jan. 1, 2010. The commission approved $62.7 million for FPL Group's (FPL) Florida Power & Light Company and $207 million for Progress Energy Florida (PGN). As per the new rates, Florida Power customers will pay about 67 cents a month on a 1,000 kilowatt-hour bill the next year, down from the $2.27 in the beginning of this year. For Progress Energy customers, the 2010 charge will be $5.86 per month, an increase of about $1.55. Utilities traditionally do not recover costs from customers for new power plants until facilities begin operating, but due to the regulatory risk and years of lead time to build nuclear plants, utilities across ...

Today we are featuring top-performing “Utilities" Equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in equity securities of utilities, including telephone or cable-television firms.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Utilities Equity Funds.

3 Electrifying Picks

Van Kampen Utility A (VKUAX) seeks to provide its shareholders with capital appreciation and current income. It may focus on securities that it believes offer capital appreciation and current income at a reasonable risk.

The fund may invest in income securities which include preferred stock and debt securities, including convertible securities, of various maturities which are considered "investment-grade" quality at the time of investment. At the end of March, its portfolio turnover was 120%.

The fund’s top holdings include Exelon Corp. (EXC - Snapshot Report), FPL

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Today we are featuring top-performing “Utilities" Equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in equity securities of utilities, including telephone or cable-television firms.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Utilities Equity Funds.

3 Great Picks

Van Kampen Utility A (VKUAX) seeks to provide its shareholders with capital appreciation and current income. It may focus on securities that it believes offer capital appreciation and current income at a reasonable risk.

The fund may invest in income securities which include preferred stock and debt securities, including convertible securities, of various maturities which are considered "investment-grade" quality at the time of investment. At the end of March, its portfolio turnover was 120%.

The fund’s top holdings include Exelon Corp. (EXC), FPL Group (FPL) and Southern Co. (SO).

Flex-funds Total Return Utilities (FLRUX) was incepted in

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Florida Power & Light, a FPL Group (FPL) company, recently submitted its mid-year fuel report to the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), which contains the detail of the fuel expenses incurred during the first half of 2009. It has also presented the fuel cost estimates for 2010 to the commission.   Florida Power & Light’s current fuel bill is running nearly 6% lower than initial estimates and it expects to pass on the benefit to customers on their 2010 bills, if the trend continues. The company estimates the bills for residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month to decline to around $100 in January 2010 from roughly $109 in December 2009. This, however, is subject to necessary approvals by the FPSC.   Florida Power & Light’s latest estimates include the impact of its pending request for a base rate adjustment (filed to the FPSC earlier ...

Today we are featuring top-performing “Utilities" equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in equity securities of utilities companies, including telephone or cable-television firms.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Utilities Equity Funds.

3 Powerful Picks

AIM Utilities Inv (FSTUX) was incepted in June 1986. This non-diversified fund seeks capital growth and income.

The fund primarily invests in equity securities of companies engaged in utilities-related industries. These companies include, but are not limited to, firms that produce, generate, transmit and distribute natural gas or electricity or provide telecommunications services.

The fund’s key holdings include FPL Group (FPL), Sempra Energy (SRE) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ).

Fidelity Telecom and Utilities (FIUIX) seeks high total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation.

The fund normally invests at least 80% of

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On October 29, 2008 a pipeline company, Western Gas (NYSE:WES), announced plans that made its shareholders very happy. I wasn’t a shareholder at the time but its announcement caught my attention and I began following the company.

Two months later I recommended it to my readers. In the following six months its shares rose 15 percent. On February 25, 2009 utility company, FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), made a similar announcement. I began looking into the company right away. This time it only took me two weeks to recommend the company to my readers. In the following four months its shares rose 33 percent.

On March 11 Coke (NYSE:KO) made the same announcement. On April 1st, 2009 I recommended it. In just three months it’s gone up nine percent.

These three companies are members of a class of companies I call the “Group of 88.” They all love to please their shareholders.

So,

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JUNO BEACH, Fla. - June 29, 2009 - Lew Hay, chairman and CEO of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), the nation's No. 1 producer of renewable energy from wind and solar power, issued the following statement today on passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

Unions at it Again: And FPL fight Back

by The Investment U Research Team

We make no secret about our concern of unions disrupting the business practices of otherwise productive companies. And today an article in The New York Times gives us new cause to shudder.

Apparently our dearest unions are cozying up to environmental regulations and activist groups to fight and frustrate solar companies that don’t agree to union construction, jobs.

Do we need more reasons to not like unions?

Hmm. We present exhibit A: General Motors (OTC: GMGMQ) Exhibit B: Chrysler. Please don’t make me go any further. Those two union disasters should be plenty. It’s disheartening enough for two once proud companies to fail like they did.

The fact of the matter is unions had their place – in an era where workers didn’t have

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POINT ROBERTS, WA and DELTA, BC - June 18, 2009 - Investorideas.com and www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com, a leading global investor and industry portal for the renewable energy sector within Investorideas.com, features news h- lites from its Renewable Energy and GreenTech Business and Stock News Feed, one of the most read RSS news feeds on Investorideas.com.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - May 12, 2009 - Zacks.com announces the latest Industry Outlook. Today's outlook from Zacks Equity Research analyst Jon Kolb discusses the Alt-Energy sector. Highlighted stocks include: Entergy (ETR), FPL Group (FPL), Energy Conversion Devices (ENER), Evergreen Solar (ESLR) and SunPower (SPWRA).

Here is the latest on the Alt-Energy sector:

Solar power is well-suited to match peak energy needs as maximum sunlight hours generally correspond to typical peak demand periods when electricity prices are at their highest. These characteristics increase the value of solar power as compared to other renewable resources that do not align with peak demand periods. 

Solar power products can be deployed in many sizes and configurations to meet the specific needs of the customer. With no moving parts or regular required maintenance, solar power systems are among the most reliable forms of electricity

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