_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Lakeland
Electric
We ’ ve replaced several wooden poles with steel ones , for instance , and added features on our lines to automatically prevent outages
navigate is Florida ’ s temperamental weather . While the state has historically fallen victim to some of the largest hurricanes in the US , its unique topography makes it a favored environment for thunderstorms .
“ Florida has the most lightning density in the US and Four Corners , Florida ( 20 miles away from our service area ) is considered the lightning capital of the US ,” Mike tells us . “ So , we ’ re constantly trying to predict the weather , as it can impact the way we manage the load throughout the state . We have strong , robust devices that can rapidly restore power in the event of a lightning strike , as long as equipment is not seriously damaged . Being connected to the larger grid means that , in many cases , we can switch , maintain , or restore power before the consumer realizes the power supply was interrupted .
“ On the other hand , we have hurricanes . These events are entirely different because we simply cannot work during the storm . Instead , we have to wait until the hurricane passes before we can start restoring power . In these circumstances , we share resources with other utilities across the state , and if it ’ s a particularly large hurricane , companies from outside the state even offer their help .
“ Unfortunately , we ’ re quite experienced in recovering from hurricanes , so we can quickly spring into action with our emergency operations plan and restore power relatively quickly ,” Mike explains . “ We ’ re constantly evaluating the ways in which we can be better prepared
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