Tampa Electric launches new Storm Protection Program to improve reliability for hurricane season

With hurricane season set to begin June 1, Tampa Electric is preparing to demonstrate its year-round investments and preparations through the new Storm Protection Program, meant to strengthen its systems against severe weather.

Over the course of the year, Tampa Electric invested more than $50 million into replacing power poles, strengthening transmission structures, pole inspections, and tree trimming that spanned more than 2,000 miles. This year, the company intends to invest another $120 million to increase resiliency, including the conversion of more overhead lines to underground infrastructure.

Additionally, the new program is focused on technological solutions, including implementing new digital damage-assessment tools and creating an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS). The assessment tools will provide real-time communication with damage assessors and automatically order equipment for repairs. The ADMS will coordinate with smart meters to identify the exact location of outages and speed restoration efforts.

Storm season runs through November 30, meaning the company will have plenty of time to demonstrate its efficacy. Power outages are not uncommon during this time period, and even with the preparations, Tampa Electric recommends customers have storm plans in place for homes and businesses. Its own crews are on-call to restore power in the event of a disaster.