July 20, 2001

FPL Group reports record earnings in second quarter

JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL) today reported second quarter net income of $214 million compared to $204 million in the second quarter of 2000, excluding the effects of FAS 133. Earnings per share rose to $1.27 from $1.20 a year ago, a 5.8 percent increase. Net income for the second quarter was $219 million or $1.30 per share including the effects of FAS 133.

FAS 133 is a financial accounting standard related to derivative instruments.

For the six months ended June 30, 2001, FPL Group's net income was $343 million, or $2.04 per share, excluding a non-recurring merger-related charge of $19 million or 11 cents per share, as well as the effects of FAS 133, which added $5 million or two cents per share. Net income for the same period in 2000 was $325 million or $1.91 per share. Including the charge and the FAS 133 adjustment, FPL Group's net income was $329 million or $1.95 per share for the six months ended June 30, 2001.

"All three businesses of FPL Group experienced attractive growth and superb operating performance during the second quarter," said Lew Hay, president and chief executive officer. "We remain confident that we will realize a seven percent increase in earnings per share this year, as we build on the successes achieved in the first half of 2001."

Florida Power & Light

Net income for FPL Group's principal subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company, increased from $172 million to $182 million, while earnings per share rose from $1.01 to $1.08, a 6.9% increase.

FPL served 89,000 new customer accounts compared to the year-ago quarter -- a 2.3 percent increase. Usage per customer, however, was down by two percent during the quarter compared to the 2000 quarter, as Florida experienced cooler temperatures.

In June, FPL provided customers a refund of $105 million as a result of higher revenues for the twelve-month period ending April 15. The revenue refund was part of the utility's agreement with Public Counsel and approved by the Florida Public Service Commission, which provides sharing with customers of revenues that exceed a certain threshold.

To meet the continued increase in new customers and energy usage, FPL announced in June the commercial startup of a 300-megawatt expansion of its Martin plant. The power from the new plant, plus an additional 900 megawatts added at its Fort Myers plant earlier this year, give the company a reserve margin of 20 percent this summer.

"There is no energy crisis in Florida," said FPL President Paul Evanson. "FPL customers enjoy an adequate supply of electricity at reasonable rates, and the company is well-positioned to serve customers far into the future."

FPL Energy

Second quarter net income for FPL Group's independent power production subsidiary, FPL Energy, increased from $28 million to $33 million, an 18 percent increase, while its contribution to earnings per share rose from 16 cents to 19 cents, excluding the effects of FAS 133. Including the mark-to-market impact associated with FAS 133, FPL Energy's net income for the current year second quarter was $38 million, and contributions to earnings per share were 22 cents.

FPL Energy's earnings growth for the quarter was primarily driven by the addition of a 1,000-megawatt plant in Texas and higher margins in the western region, primarily from the company's wind portfolio. These results were somewhat offset by lower income from our northeast assets due to milder weather, lower market-based rates and previously disclosed transmission constraints affecting our Maine fossil plants.

In June, FPL Energy announced that two power projects had begun commercial operation, namely, a 171-megawatt expansion of its Doswell plant in Virginia and a 30-megawatt wind farm in Wisconsin.

"We expect FPL Energy's earnings to grow 20 to 30 percent this year," said Mr. Hay. He also said that the independent power producer expects to grow its project portfolio to more than 10,000 megawatts by the end of 2003. "We already have announced specific projects totaling nearly 6,000 megawatts, and many of these are now under construction," he said.

Since the beginning of 2001, FPL Energy has announced the following projects:

· A 1,789-megawatt, natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant in the Dallas area that will be one of the largest independent generation projects in Texas (expected operational by second quarter 2003).

· A 517-megawatt, natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant in Blythe, California that is geographically located to serve California, Arizona and Nevada (expected operational by early 2003).

· A 535-megawatt natural gas-fired, combined-cycle plant near Austin, Texas co-owned with El Paso Energy (expected operational by second quarter 2002).

· A 668-megawatt, natural gas-fired, simple-cycle power plant in Calhoun County in northeastern Alabama the output of which will be sold under contract to Alabama Power Company (expected operational by summer 2003).

· A 278-megawatt wind-powered electric generating facility in West Texas (expected operational by end of 2001).

· A 110-megawatt wind-powered plant in Kansas (expected operational by end of 2001).

Corporate & Other

Corporate expenses were up compared to prior-year quarter due largely to higher interest expense. These higher expenses were somewhat offset by increased earnings from FPL FiberNet. The subsidiary, a leading provider of fiber-optic network solutions in Florida, substantially completed metro networks in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Jacksonville and St. Petersburg during the quarter. By year-end, the company will have more than 2,500 route-miles or more than 250,000 fiber miles in Florida and will have networks in virtually all of the metropolitan areas in the state. During the second quarter, the company announced agreements to lease portions of its network in Florida to BellSouth and Sphera Optical Networks.

Company Profile

FPL Group, with annual revenues of more than $8 billion, is one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services. Its principal subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company, serves 3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, FPL Group's independent power production subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fplgroup.com, www.fpl.com, and www.fplenergy.com.

NOTE: A Webcast of FPL Group's second quarter earnings conference call, scheduled at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday July 20, 2001, is available on FPL Group's Web site, www.fplgroup.com, by following the link provided.