JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 22, 2017 – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) demonstrated its commitment to Fpl Customer Service by successfully restoring power to essentially all 4.4 million customers impacted by the monumental Hurricane Irma within 10 days. This rapid restoration, following a storm of unprecedented scale and intensity, underscores FPL’s dedication to its customers and the resilience of its upgraded energy grid. As FPL releases the majority of out-of-state utility workers who assisted in this massive effort, the focus shifts to long-term service improvements and continued support for customers in the affected regions.
“The patience, support, and understanding of our customers during this challenging period have been deeply appreciated, especially for those who experienced extended outages,” stated Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. “Hurricane Irma presented challenges unlike any we have faced before. Its vast size, destructive force, and slow progression led to the largest outage event in our history, affecting over 4.4 million fpl customer service accounts. However, through dedicated teamwork and meticulous planning, FPL achieved the fastest restoration of power to the largest number of customers ever undertaken by a single utility in the United States.”
Even as Hurricane Irma was still within FPL’s service area, restoration efforts were already underway, with power returned to approximately one million customers. By the end of the first full day of restoration work, that number had doubled to two million. The vast majority of customers saw their power restored within a week of Irma’s passage. However, the sheer magnitude of the storm meant that some areas faced more complex and time-consuming restoration challenges, requiring sustained fpl customer service and support.
The Devastating Impact of Hurricane Irma and FPL’s Response
Hurricane Irma inflicted significant damage across Florida, leaving an indelible mark on communities and infrastructure. The storm spawned tornadoes, toppled mature trees, inundated roadways, isolated neighborhoods with floodwaters, and ripped roofs from buildings. Saltwater contamination further complicated matters, damaging electrical equipment and plunging millions into darkness.
In response to this widespread devastation, FPL mobilized the largest restoration workforce in U.S. history. This immense army of over 28,000 dedicated men and women, arriving from 30 states and Canada, worked tirelessly around the clock to help Florida communities return to normalcy. This massive mobilization is a testament to FPL’s commitment to fpl customer service and rapid response during crises.
Restoration crews encountered significant obstacles, particularly in the hardest-hit areas. Fallen trees entangled power lines, and dense debris obstructed roads, delaying access to damaged equipment. In many instances, crews spent countless hours clearing vegetation and debris before repairs could even begin. Anticipating these vegetation-related challenges, FPL strategically deployed twice the number of tree trimming crews compared to the Hurricane Wilma restoration effort in 2005, demonstrating proactive planning for effective fpl customer service delivery.
“It was truly inspiring to witness Floridians uniting as one during the aftermath of this natural disaster,” Silagy remarked. “The leadership of Governor Rick Scott was instrumental in coordinating efforts both before and after the storm, ensuring a unified focus on Florida’s recovery. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders – including the Florida National Guard, police, fire departments, and emergency personnel at all levels – whose tireless efforts were crucial in the recovery process. These individuals, alongside our dedicated restoration crews, are the true heroes of Hurricane Irma, deserving immense respect and appreciation. Their unwavering commitment was essential to restoration efforts throughout Florida, including search and rescue operations, logistical support for fuel and utility vehicles, and responses to fires and other emergencies, all contributing to overall fpl customer service and community support.”
Grid Investments Enhance FPL Customer Service and Speed Restoration
FPL’s strategic investments of nearly $3 billion over the past 11 years to enhance the energy grid’s intelligence, strength, and storm resilience proved invaluable in expediting restoration efforts and improving fpl customer service during Hurricane Irma. Crucially, no hardened transmission structures, the backbone of the energy system, were lost. Furthermore, all FPL substations were operational within a single day after Irma’s passage. These grid enhancements significantly increased system resilience, leading to a much faster restoration timeline and improved fpl customer service outcomes.
The impact of these investments is evident in pole damage statistics. Despite Irma being a more expansive and powerful storm than Wilma, FPL experienced significantly fewer downed poles – approximately 2,500 (0.2 percent of 1.2 million total poles) compared to roughly 12,000 during Wilma. FPL’s smart grid technology also played a vital role, enabling the company to remotely restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers during the storm, minimizing the need for physical truck deployments and enhancing the speed of fpl customer service restoration.
“Every one of the 35 counties served by FPL, from the Florida/Georgia border to south of Miami and westward to Bradenton, experienced the storm’s impact. In fact, 90 percent of our customer base lost power. Despite Irma’s wider reach and greater intensity compared to Wilma, we achieved a significantly faster restoration pace,” Silagy explained. “While we are proud of our rapid response, we acknowledge that no storm restoration is flawless. We are committed to continuous improvement and incorporating lessons learned to enhance our preparedness for future hurricanes. A key area for improvement is providing customers with more accurate and consistent power restoration estimates. We recognize that during normal operations, customers expect detailed estimates, and we fell short of meeting those expectations during Irma. We are actively working to refine our estimation processes to provide more reliable fpl customer service in this critical area.”
As FPL transitions from the immediate restoration phase to ongoing service, the company is releasing the majority of the external utility and contract workers. Customers may still experience localized outages in the coming weeks and months due to weakened trees and branches succumbing to wind or gravity, potentially impacting power lines. Additionally, residual salt contamination and strong wind gusts could lead to further outages. FPL crews will remain vigilant and responsive to address these emergent issues and ensure continued fpl customer service reliability.
“We remain in an active hurricane season. Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey serve as stark reminders of the constant threat and the necessity for preparedness,” Silagy emphasized. “We urge everyone to take this time to ensure their families are prepared before the next storm arrives.”
Florida Power & Light Company: A Commitment to Customer Service and Reliability
Florida Power & Light Company, the third-largest electric utility in the United States, provides electricity to nearly 5 million customer accounts, serving an estimated 10 million people across approximately half of Florida. FPL is dedicated to providing affordable and reliable energy. The typical FPL residential customer bill for 1,000-kWh is approximately 25 percent lower than the latest national average and was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the seventh consecutive year in 2016. FPL’s service reliability exceeds 99.98 percent, and its highly efficient power plant fleet is among the cleanest nationwide. FPL consistently ranks highly in customer satisfaction, receiving top honors in the southern U.S. among large electric providers in the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM and recognition as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International in 2017. A major Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a recognized leader in clean energy and sustainability. For more information about NextEra Energy companies and fpl customer service, please visit: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company
