June 11 (Reuters) - NextEra Energy expects to

have 81 gigawatt (GW) of combined renewable energy and storage

capacity by the end of 2027, betting on surging demand in the

U.S.

The company, which owns renewables business NextEra Energy

Resources and regulated electric utility Florida Power & Light,

said at its investor conference that it plans to invest $12

billion in solar energy and $1.5 billion in battery storage from

2024 to 2027.

The U.S. solar industry is thriving due to more domestic

panel manufacturing, helped by federal and state policies aimed

at boosting clean energy on the grid to meet climate goals.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected

power demand will rise to 4,103 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in

2024 and 4,159 billion kWh in 2025.

One GW can power about 100 million LED bulbs.