FPL breaks ground on new underground transmission line to service Miami

Work officially began this week on a new Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) underground transmission power line that will service downtown Miami and the surrounding area once complete, providing energy and improving reliability for approximately 50,000 customers.

The project is a joint one between FPL and the City of Miami. When finished, it will stretch along the Metrorail corridor from FPL’s Coconut Grove Substation to around the Simpson Substation in the Brickell neighborhood. To supplement the line, FPL will also build a new substation, dubbed Dolphin, in the area.

“We are excited to work with the City of Miami on this new underground transmission line that will help us further strengthen and enhance our system and provide reliable service for our customers for years to come,” Manny Miranda, FPL senior vice president of power delivery, said. “It’s part of our commitment to deliver America’s best energy value – clean, affordable, and reliable energy our customers can count on in good weather and bad.”

The area is already rife with underground lines, an advantage that will allow FPL to link to existing equipment and, potentially, save the city money. Construction is expected to run until December 2023. Mayor Francis Suarez sees the new reliability effort as a further sign of the area’s current growth and future prospects.

“Miami – and specifically our Downtown – continues to see incredible growth in terms of new residents, new businesses, and new development,” Suarez said. “We welcome FPL’s timely investment in fortifying our power supply and doing so in a way that has the least possible impact on our neighborhoods.”