JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company has quickly restored service to all customers impacted by Hurricane Dorian. The company restored more than 160,000 customers, some more than once using smart grid technology. Most outages were caused primarily by downed trees, vegetation and debris blowing into power lines. FPL is now working with other utilities to the north to help reallocate resources to help respond to Dorian as it impacts Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
"For customers impacted by Hurricane Dorian, thank you for your patience as we worked around-the-clock to get your lights back on as the storm moved north. I also want to thank our industry partners who helped bolster our restoration workforce to among the largest pre-storm levels in our history, as we prepared to face this catastrophic storm," said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO. "Lastly, I want to thank Governor DeSantis, law enforcement, first responders and other state and local officials for helping enable us to restore power safely and as quickly as possible."
"Our investments over the past decade in smart grid technology, undergrounding power lines and strengthening the energy grid enabled us to restore power faster to customers and avoid thousands of outages," Silagy said. "With smart grid technology, some restoration tasks that would previously have required a crew to travel to a site in the field and perform work on overhead equipment can now be resolved with the push of a button. We also deployed 58 drones to help crews get eyes on any damage to our electric system. This high-tech solution provides valuable insight into areas of dense vegetation and flooding, and helps us get the right crews and resources in the right places more quickly."
Toppled trees falling onto equipment and power lines, along with excess vegetation and debris, were the leading cause of outages from Hurricane Dorian. While FPL trims trees from more than 15,000 miles of power lines each year, keeping trees away from power lines is a shared responsibility. Customers are urged to follow FPL's Right Tree, Right Place guidelines when planting trees. More information is available at FPL.com/trees.
After Hurricane Dorian's catastrophic impact in the Bahamas, the company will make a contribution to the Red Cross for the Bahamas along with its employees. Additionally, FPL is working with the United Way to gather supplies to assist those in need.
By the numbers
- Nearly 4 million FPL customers were in Dorian's path.
- More than 160,000 customers restored, some more than once using smart grid technology.
- Peak number of outages was just over 11,000 at any given time during the storm.
- Average customer was restored in just over an hour, and no outage lasted more than 24 hours.
- More than 37,000 outages avoided thanks to investments in smart grid technology.
- 58 drones deployed to help crews visualize damage in dense or flooded areas.
"Dorian is a reminder that we are in the height of hurricane season, and we must remain vigilant," said Silagy. "Please take time now to ensure you and your family are prepared before the next storm strikes."
Additional resources
- How FPL restores power
- Stay safe after the storm
- How keeping trees away from power lines improves your electric service
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2018 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International for the fifth consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2019 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company
