JUNO BEACH – In 2023, FPL plans to make numerous upgrades in Fort Lauderdale as a part of its ongoing effort to enhance resiliency within the face of extreme climate. These investments embrace shifting extra energy strains underground, strengthening overhead strains and putting in extra clever gadgets alongside the power grid to assist detect potential issues and restore energy sooner when outages do happen. The investments have the additional benefit of enhancing day-to-day reliability for patrons as nicely.
2023 enhancements within the Fort Lauderdale space
FPL plans to make the next enhancements in and close to Fort Lauderdale this yr:
- 44 Storm Safe Underground Program (SSUP) tasks deliberate. This system began in 2018 to interchange extra overhead neighborhood energy strains with underground service.
- Strengthening 20 foremost energy strains, together with those who serve important companies which are needed for communities to get better sooner after main storms.
- Sustaining timber and vegetation – a standard reason behind energy outages, significantly throughout hurricanes and extreme climate — alongside 365 miles of energy strains.
- Inspecting 4,869 energy poles in Fort Lauderdale as a part of an eight-year inspection cycle, strengthening or changing those who now not meet FPL’s industry-leading requirements.
- Putting in good grid know-how, together with 162 automated switches on foremost and neighborhood energy strains to assist detect issues and restore service sooner when outages happen.
- Inspecting 136 foremost energy strains and gear utilizing infrared know-how to detect points earlier than they trigger an influence interruption.
When the deliberate 2023 work is accomplished, FPL can have made the next enhancements in and close to Fort Lauderdale for the reason that historic 2004-2005 hurricane seasons:
- Strengthened 86 foremost energy strains, together with those who serve important companies.
- Inspected and maintained vegetation close to 3,911 miles of energy strains — a median of 230 per yr.
- Inspected all 26,804 energy poles each eight years.
- Put in good grid know-how, together with 3,234 automated switches on foremost and neighborhood energy strains.
- Inspected 238 foremost energy strains and gear utilizing infrared know-how.
“No power grid is hurricane-proof, and storms will proceed to trigger energy outages, however detailed assessments following 2022’s Hurricanes Ian and Nicole confirmed FPL’s investments to storm-harden its power grid proceed to learn clients, dashing restoration,” mentioned Manny Miranda, government vice chairman of Energy Supply for FPL.
Strengthening energy poles, managing timber and vegetation close to energy strains, putting in good grid know-how to repair issues earlier than they have an effect on clients and utilizing robots and drones to often examine gear have all helped FPL enhance its service reliability by 41% since 2006. These upgrades have helped cut back each the quantity and length of outages, in addition to the variety of momentary interruptions or energy sparkles.
SSUP is a concerted effort to put extra neighborhood energy strains underground. It’s designed to assist pace restoration efforts, cut back restoration prices, and cut back buyer outages. FPL accomplished greater than 1,200 SSUP tasks since SSUP began and can develop this system in 2023, with about 750 tasks deliberate throughout the state.
“We’re dedicated to investing in progressive options and know-how,” mentioned Tim Bryant, native director of exterior affairs for FPL. “We work year-round so our clients throughout Florida can resume their regular lives safely and as rapidly as attainable after storms.”
In 2022, for the seventh time in eight years, FPL was awarded the ReliabilityOne® Nationwide Reliability Award. Introduced by PA Consulting, the award is broadly regarded within the power {industry} as one of the crucial prestigious honors and reinforces FPL’s dedication to supply clients with the nation’s most dependable service.
Originally posted 2023-05-18 00:27:32.