Oct 23 (Reuters) - NextEra Energy's

third-quarter profit beat Wall Street estimates on Wednesday,

helped by strength in its renewables unit.

On an adjusted basis, NextEra earned $1.03 per share in the

quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of 98 cents, according

to updated data compiled by LSEG.

The S&P index tracking utilities jumped 18.4%

in the third quarter, compared to a 5.5% rise in the S&P 500

, benefiting from

growing demand

from artificial intelligence and data centers, along with

homes and businesses using more electricity for heat and

transportation.

The company's renewables business, NextEra Energy

Resources, boasted of a project backlog of 24 gigawatts (GW), up

from nearly 22.6 GW in the second quarter.

The Juno Beach, Florida-based company maintained its

adjusted earnings per share forecast for 2024 of $3.23 and $3.43

per share, while adding that it expected earnings per share in

2025 to be in the range of $3.45 to $3.70.