Florida Utilities Are Investing Billions To Harden Systems against Hurricanes
Pole by pole, Florida's utilities are hardening their systems to prepare for hurricane season. Most have filed multiyear system-improvement plans with the Florida Public Service Commission by its May 7 deadline.
Florida Power & Light Co., Juno Beach, is planning by far the largest investment. Under a program dubbed Storm Secure, the utility will inspect, then treat, reinforce or replace, 1.2 million poles on an eight-year cycle, down from its previous 10- to 12-year cycle. FPL anticipates spending about $50 million annually to support infrastructure hardening under its operations and maintenance budget. In addition, the utility plans incremental Storm Secure capital investments of $70 million to $200 million per year.