April 23 (Reuters) - NextEra Energy reported

first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street estimates on Tuesday,

as the world's largest renewable energy company added more

customers to its regulated utilities business.

Florida Power & Light, NextEra's regulated utilities

business that generates most of its electricity from natural

gas, benefited from a 32.6% decline in prices since the start of

2024 through lower fuel spend.

The utility also added 100,000 more customers over the same

quarter last year.

FPL filed a 10-year site plan in April, aiming to increase

its solar power generation from 6% in 2023 to 38% in 2033, while

doubling battery storage capacity.

However, NextEra missed revenue estimates for the quarter,

reporting $5.73 billion versus analysts' expectations of $6.15

billion, according to LSEG data, in part due to lower retail

sales at FPL during a milder-than-expected winter.

The company's clean energy unit, NextEra Energy

Resources, added nearly 2,765 megawatts of new renewable and

storage projects in the first quarter. However, it reported a

lower net income of $966 million, or 47 cents per share,

compared to $1.44 billion, or 72 cents per share last year.

On an adjusted basis, NextEra earned 91 cents per share

in the reported quarter, beating analysts' average estimate of

78 cents, according to LSEG data.

The Juno Beach, Florida-based company maintained its

adjusted earnings per share forecast for 2024 at between $3.23

and $3.43.

NextEra Energy Partners ( NEP ), a unit of the company

created to acquire, manage and own contracted energy projects,

said it would use the proceeds from the sale of STX Midstream to

Kinder Morgan, to "complete the NEP Renewables II buyouts due in

June 2024 and 2025".

The unit reported a core profit of $462 million against

$447 million reported last year.