Gulf Power pushes forward on Florida transmission projects

Although it has already upgraded more than 170 wooden transmission structures, Gulf Power is pushing forward with additional updates throughout Northwest Florida, increasing capacity and replacing dozens of existing lines with concrete or steel poles.

The effort is meant to improve reliability and harden the region’s infrastructure. In Pensacola, Florida, the company has already replaced 25 poles across eight miles beside its Plant Crist. This summer, it began work on 70 other poles, each built to withstand winds of up to 140 mph. They should also increase the capacity of the line. This will pair nicely with work on the coal-burning Plant Crist, which is being modernized into a natural gas facility.

“As part of the Florida Power & Light family, we’re committed to improving reliability – which is already the best it has been – in both good weather and bad for our customers,” Mike Spoor, vice president of power delivery for Gulf Power, said. “We know how important reliable service is for our customers, especially during this time, and we’re continuing to invest in hardening and other upgrades that will make our electric system stronger and more resilient during hurricane season.”

Gulf Power intends to spend approximately $600 million on upgrades like these through 2022. This includes additional transmission upgrades in the Shalimar/Niceville area and Panama City. Regular vegetation management, drone inspections, and the installation of automated lateral switches to allow isolation of outages and quicker power restoration are also expected to aid efforts.

While this should make the whole system more resilient to inclement weather, at Plant Crist, efforts should also lower carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent.