FPL investing in major upgrades to electric system serving Miramar, including the Broward Sheriff’s Office EMS telecom tower, and other local improvements

FPL investing in major upgrades to electric system serving Miramar, including the Broward Sheriff’s Office EMS telecom tower, and other local improvements

Upgrades part of FPL’s ongoing program to strengthen a  record number of power lines in 2014 

JUNO BEACH, FL – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today outlined its 2014 electric system upgrades in the Miramar area that will benefit local homes and businesses. The company has started work on strengthening and upgrading major power lines and equipment throughout its system to help communities recover faster following major storms while improving everyday reliability for customers.

2014 Work in Miramar

This year’s investment includes upgrades to eight main power lines serving key facilities in the Miramar area, such as the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Emergency Medical Services telecom tower. The projects strengthen the electric system to better withstand major storms and allow for faster service restoration following power outages. The work includes installing stronger utility poles designed to withstand wind gusts of 145 mph or more.

Overall, FPL is upgrading 60 major power lines in Broward County in 2014 – a record number. Other improvements in Miramar this year include: inspecting approximately 1,300 utility poles for strength, clearing vegetation – a common cause of power outages – from 185 miles of power lines and inspecting 11 major lines with advanced infrared technology.

“FPL’s 2014 plan includes more projects to strengthen the electric system than ever before, including several in the Miramar area. While severe weather is likely to result in power outages, a stronger electric system means less damage, faster service restoration and more reliable service in all weather conditions,” said Manny Miranda, FPL vice president of power delivery. “This year, we’re investing more than $170 million throughout our system to strengthen the power lines and equipment that serve essential community facilities such as hospitals, fire stations, water treatment plants and other facilities that are crucial to people as they recover from a storm.”

A Long-Term Commitment

When the planned 2014

work is completed, FPL will have made the following improvements in and near Miramar since the last major hurricane season in 2005:

·         Reinforced 14 major power lines, including those serving critical local facilities such as Memorial Hospital Miramar and a local 911 emergency communications center.

·         Inspected 5,200 utility poles, restoring or replacing those that no longer met the company’s standards for strength.

·         Cleared 1,155 miles of power lines of trees and vegetation – a major cause of power outages.

·         Inspected 78 main power lines and equipment using the latest infrared technology, helping us address issues before they cause outages.

Since 2006, FPL has in-vested more than $1.4 billion across its 35-county service area – in addition to its other ongoing system maintenance and improvement work – to make the electric grid stronger.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida and serves the third-largest number of customers of any electric utility in the United States. FPL serves approximately 4.7 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees as of year-end 2013. FPL’s typical 1,000-kWh residential bill is the lowest among reporting electric utilities in Florida as of year-end 2013, and based on data available in July 2013, is about 28 percent below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL delivered better than 99.98 percent service reliability as of year-end 2013. FPL has earned the national ServiceOne Award for outstanding customer service for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.