Here’s some recent news about NextEra Energy that you wouldn’t expect based on the hostile online comments about the proposed NextEra-Hawaiian Electric takeover. There’s more to this company than we’ve been led to expect.

NextEra Energy’s Corporate Responsibility Report details company’s efforts to build a clean energy future

NextEra Energy Unit Files for Rate Decline in Florida

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) is investing billions of dollars annually to help create a clean energy future sustainably and responsibly. As a result, the company generated more electricity from the wind and sun than any other company in the world last year. In its 2015 corporate responsibility report, released recently at www.NextEraEnergy.com/crr, NextEra Energy details how it is meeting customer and community needs, providing a safe, healthy and challenging work environment for employees, and delivering strong financial results.

While consumers generally expect rates to go up, FPL customers are used to the unusual. At FPL, the monthly residential bill for a typical customer is expected to go down by nearly 13.3% to $94.18 per month.

This March, the company had filed for another rate decline which came into effect from May and led to savings of $3 per month for a residential customer using the standard 1,000 kWh of electricity. The rate decline was primary due to the fall in prices for natural gas used for power generation.

Thanks to these rate cuts, the average electricity bill for a typical FPL residential customer is nearly 30% below the national average.

FPL ranked a top Environmental Champion for supporting environmental causes, helping customers save energy and investing in solar and other clean energy sources

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has been recognized as a leader among utilities for its adoption of environmentally encouraging initiatives and operational practices, according to a recent national study. In the Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ study, conducted by Cogent Reports™ at Market Strategies International, FPL ranked number one in the south on the Environmental Champions list, which considers consumer beliefs about actions utilities are taking to embrace environmental commitment. Results are based on more than 25,000 consumer performance ratings for 125 leading utilities nationwide.

NextEra puts emphasis on diversity, inclusion

“If we don’t have a diverse and inclusive work environment, we won’t have engaged employees who want to come to work every day and be innovative, do their best and continuously come up with improvements,” Holmes said. “All of that is going to be stymied and we won’t grow as a company. We believe strongly in investing in [diversity].”

Part of what sets NextEra’s diversity efforts apart is that it goes beyond simply hiring workers from a variety of backgrounds. Instead, the company’s 11 resource groups – which include coalitions for women and Asian-Americans – are required to develop their own long-term action plans that they then choose how to implement.

Similarly, every business unit leader is required to develop and implement a diversity and inclusion action plan. These objective-oriented measures, Holmes said, are vital to ensuring that corporate priorities are maintained across the company’s footprint, which extends to 27 states and Canada.

FPL ranks among the top ten utilities for economic development again

Site Selection magazine evaluates utilities for recognition based on the following mix of objective and subjective criteria: Analysis of corporate end-user project activity in 2014 in that company’s territory based on the Conway Data New Plant Database and submitted materials from utilities; website tools and data; innovative programs and incentives for business, including energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; and the utility’s own job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends.

“This year’s Top Utilities are the class of their field when it comes to economic development teamwork,” says Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection. “Like the best athletic teams, they know how to look for the open opportunity, turn on a dime when circumstances require it, communicate with teammates and move without the ball so they’re ready when the time comes to close the deal.”

NextEra Unit Adds Green Assets: 3 Solar Projects Underway

Electric utility behemoth, NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE and its primary subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company (“FPL”), have created a niche for themselves as the top clean power producers of the country.

This Juno Beach, FL-based utility uncovered plans to construct three large-scale solar energy centers in Southwest Florida. With no net cost to electric users over the plants’ operating lifetime, they’re expected to triple FPL’s solar capacity to about 335 megawatt (“MW”) from the present level of 110 MW.

If You’re In Your 50s, Consider Buying These 3 Stocks

NextEra has done a better job than many of its peers in jumping on the opportunity in renewable energy, with extensive holdings in wind and solar power. When you add in extensive nuclear power-generation capabilities, NextEra doesn’t have nearly the carbon footprint that most electrical generating utilities have, and that means that it won’t necessarily face the same challenges in dealing with current and future regulation on carbon emissions that some other utilities will. The utility industry isn’t going to give you much chance of blockbuster returns, but steady and reliable results can help even those in their 50s grow their current investments considerably over time.

Energy Storage Just Got A Massive Vote Of Confidence

The rise of renewables is made more feasible by increasing opportunities in energy storage. Mr. Robo and NextEra Energy appear to see energy storage as a major growth opportunity in the future. Robo said energy storage is one of “three growth platforms” at the company and that the firm is “starting to make very good progress in our energy storage business.”

The opportunity in energy storage is intricately linked to renewables but energy storage is not entirely dependent on renewables either. Most renewable power sources face the problem of inconsistent generation versus more or less constant demand (at least on a day-by-day basis though not an hourly basis). Battery storage, like the products being created by Tesla and others, offers a solution. As the NextEra CEO noted, “Battery storage is the holy grail of the renewables business … If we can deliver firm power to renewable customers at a cost-effective rate, you’ll see renewables explode even faster than they already are.”