Hurricane Power Preparations

AS WE MAKE IT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF HURRICANE SEASON. MANY WORRY ABOUT LOSING ELECTRICITY AS THE STORM HIT. ACCORDING TO FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT, IT CAN TAKE ONE TO 5 DAYS TO RESTORE POWER GRID AFTER A SEVERE STORM EVEN LONGER FOR AREAS THAT ARE THE HARDEST HIT. BUT FOLLOWING HURRICANES LIKE IAN HELENE AND MILTON CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO HELP SOUTHWEST FLORIDA KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AFTER THE STORM. >> JOINING US NOW IS PUNTER FROM FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING HURRICANE SEASON. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> JENNIFER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. PLEASURE TO BE HERE. >> FP AND L PROVIDE SERVICE TO ABOUT HALF A MILLION SOUTHWEST FLORIDIANS. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT'S BEING DONE TO MAKE THE ELECTRICAL GRID STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT WITH HURRICANE SEASON STARTING IMMINENTLY? >> ABSOLUTELY. JENNIFER, HERE AT WE PREPARE YEAR-ROUND FOR HURRICANE SEASON. THIS IS A YEAR-ROUND FOCUS FOR US BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF, BUT WHEN THE NEXT HURRICANE WILL STRIKE. AND IN TERMS OF PREPARATION WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, IT'S MANAGING VEGETATION ACROSS THOUSANDS OF MILES OF POWER LINES THROUGHOUT ENTIRE SERVICE TERRITORY, A HARDENING OUR OVERHEAD INFRASTRUCTURE. HE'S ESSENTIALLY REPLACING OLDER WOODEN POLES WITH A REINFORCED WOULD STEAL OR CONCRETE BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT AFTER STORM, IT TAKES MUCH LESS TIME TO RESTRAIN A LINE THAT IT IS TO REPLACE A WHOLE NEW POLL. AND WE'RE ALSO BEARING A NEIGHBORHOOD POWER LINES. >> CAN YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AREA. ABSOLUTELY. >> IN TERMS OF OUR UNDERGROUNDING PROGRAM, OUR STORM SECURE UNDERGROUND PROGRAM WHICH TAKES A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO DETERMINING WHICH LINE TO PLACE ON THE GROUND IN SOME OF THAT DATA WE LOOK AT IS OUTAGES RELATED TO HURRICANES AND OUTAGES RELATED TO VEGETATION AND WE USE THAT DATA TO DETERMINE WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THIS PROGRAM. THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT STARTED BACK IN 2019. AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE MORE THAN 4,000 PROJECTS UP ROSS ENTIRE SERVICE TERRITORY. BUT FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AREA, THE LEVY COUNTY LUSH CHARLOTTE COUNTY. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE IT UP TO THIS POINT, APPROXIMATELY 500 PROJECTS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND PLANS FOR THIS YEAR ARE ABOUT 150 PROJECTS. CAN YOU TELL US HOW FPNL IS USING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO TRY TO HELP STRENGTHEN THE GRID? >> SO IN TERMS OF OF SOLAR IN AND WHEN IT COMES TO RESTORATION, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED RC FORTSON. THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY SHIPPING CONTAINER CONTAINERS THAT WE RETROFITTED TO SERVE AS A MOBILE OFFICES FOR OUR CREWS WHO ARE OUT IN THE FIELD WHEN IT COMES IN IN TERMS RESTORATION AND MOST OF SEA FORTS OR MOBILE OFFICES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED WITH TO OPERATE OFF OF A SOLAR POWER TO HELP WITH CENTRAL CONNECTIONS INSIDE THAT MOBILE OFFICE, WHICH IS IN SULLY, OUR INTERNET CONNECTIVITY. OUR COMPUTERS AND OUR PRINTERS INSIDE THOSE MOBILE OFFICES. AS FAR AS FPL CUSTOMERS. >> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO KNOW BEFORE WE REALLY GET INTO THE TO THE PEAK SEASON? >> WHETHER YOU'RE A LONGTIME RESIDENT OR IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE SUNSHINE STATE NOW IS REALLY THE TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT YOUR EMERGENCY PLANS OF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE RELIES ON MEDICAL. WE LIKE, BUT HE QUIT MEANT THAT REQUIRES ELECTRICITY. WHAT'S YOUR BACKUP PLAN IN CASE YOU LOSE POWER IF YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO EVACUATE. WHERE ARE YOU? GO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO STAY CONNECTED SUCH AS MAYBE HAVING A BATTERY OPERATED RADIO OR A SOLAR POWERED, A CHARGER FOR YOUR PHONE SO THAT YOU CAN STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION. THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT OUR CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING FOR HURRICANE SEASON. AND A NUMBER OF US RELY ON GENERATORS WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT DURING A STORM. >> WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE READY TO GO AND SAFE TO USE ON THE CHANCE THAT THEY NEED IT. >> ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, JENNIFER, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE A FALLING HURRICANE LAST YEAR, CHANCES ARE MANY CUSTOMERS MAY KNOW THAT WE USE THAT GENERATOR LAST YEAR. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE DID YOU TESTED BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON STARTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS IN THAT OPERATOR'S MANUAL IN MAKING SURE THAT GENERATOR IS OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME FAR AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS, INCLUDING YOUR GARAGE. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND YOUR TIME.