Florida’s top power companies are telling consumers they have everything in place to avoid a power grid failure from the heat the state has been seeing
Florida Power & Light (FPL), JEA, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric Company (TECO), said they have hardened their infrastructure by strengthening undergrounding power lines and power poles with more concrete and steel.
FPL says they have put in place smart grid technology and devices that monitor the health of the energy grid to detect and prevent issues and restore power faster if an outage happens.
The company says with the increased demand due to the heat, they do not anticipate rolling blackouts.
In north Florida, Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) is seeing a record demand of electricity from its customers due to the heat wave.
The company reports on summertime electricity use from its customers broke a record set in August of 2007.
Theres just one problem, the summer heat could extend into September.
The Weather Channel predicts there may be some small relief as the possibility of more rain and hurricanes could lessen the need for more electricity.
While the power grid in the state seems to be holding its own from the heat, the next problem around the corner Florida power companies will be dealing with is the threat of hurricanes.
Power companies do admit it could cause a strain on the power grid dealing with the current heat and a storm rolling in that could put more strain on the power supply.
If a customer’s bill gets too high, check with your local power company because they may help.
FPL announced they will suspend disconnections for non-payment in many Florida cities to help residents cope with the heat.
