 |
|
||
Michael Jarro, Director of FPL’s Network Operations, is responsible for emergency preparedness, power quality and control center operations. He looks for ways to restore your power faster when there’s an outage.
Your questions on energy-related topics can be submitted anytime to our Ask the Energy Expert blog. Just click here to submit your question, and if chosen, it will be answered here
Asked on: May 16, 2013 by Mariela D., West Palm Beach, FL
If there was a hurricane, how long would it take to restore power?
Without a storm on the horizon, it’s hard to say how long it could take to restore power. Each storm is different, with different restoration challenges like flooding or hard-to-reach damage. But, our mission after a storm is always the same—to get your life back to normal quickly because we know how difficult it is to be without power. In fact, we’re always looking for ways to make restoration faster and there are several ways we do that.
Calling in reinforcements
When a strong storm approaches, we get a head start on responding by pre-positioning workers and equipment, while actively securing additional workers from out of state. Having these reinforcements ready, helps us restore power to communities faster. As soon as it’s safe, these crews begin working following our time-tested restoration plan and they won’t stop until everyone’s lights are back on.
Technology and investments speeding restoration
Another way we’re making restoration faster is with smart grid technology, like the smart meter on your home. When a storm hits, we can identify outage locations by sending a signal to smart meters. We call it “pinging the meter” and it helps us determine which meters are receiving electric current and send crews to make repairs faster.
We’re also accelerating our ongoing work to strengthen the system that brings power to your home. We’ll be investing approximately half a billion dollars over the next three years to strengthen our grid against severe weather—work that will help to reduce outages and speed restoration.
Keeping informed
If a hurricane knocks out your power, you can get the latest information about restoration efforts via Twitter, Facebook, our online Power Tracker and our storm site. We also encourage you to sign up to get email updates from us.
Posted in: Ask the Expert, Energy Efficiency, Featured Posts
If there was a hurricane, how long would it take to restore power?
Published: May 16, 2013
Do electric vehicles cost more or less than regular cars?
Published: April 17, 2013
How do I know when it is time to replace a functioning heat pump air-conditioning unit with a new, more energy-efficient system?
Published: March 11, 2013
I was once told that it takes more energy to turn a light on and off than it does to just leave it on for 10 minutes or so. Is this true?
Published: February 12, 2013
We have seven ceiling fans in our house. What is the most efficient way to use them in the winter in Florida?
Published: January 14, 2013
What is the best way to insulate my attic? Can I install insulation between the rafters?
Published: December 12, 2012
Which light bulb is better to use in your home, CFL or LED? Should I be concerned about the mercury in CFL bulbs?
Published: October 11, 2012
Why do plugged-in electric items use electricity when turned off? If current isn’t flowing, why are they taking power?
Published: August 9, 2012
What should I use for surge protection for my appliances?
Published: July 24, 2012
Do light dimmers really save energy?
Published: June 11, 2012
DISCLAIMER:
FPL reserves the right to edit any user submissions to "Ask the Energy Expert" for brevity or clarity. Publication of readers' questions or comments is at the sole discretion of FPL.
Latest News
Print
