JUNO BEACH, Fla., Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that it is deploying more than 500 employees and contractors to Arkansas and Texas in support of power restoration activity anticipated in the wake of an approaching winter storm. FPL crews, who will be joined by other utility workers from around the country, will assist Entergy in Arkansas and Oncor in Texas with their respective restoration efforts.
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"FPL is all too willing to offer assistance to other utilities in their time of need, just as they often provide assistance to our company when FPL customers are impacted by a hurricane, tropical storm or other natural disaster," said Eric Silagy, president of FPL. "Regardless of the time of year, FPL is always on call – even with the most recent hurricane season behind us. We are prepared to deploy additional resources should Entergy, Oncor or any other utility have a need as this very dangerous weather system approaches."
The FPL workforce from across Florida began its more than 1,000-mile journey this morning and is expected to begin restoration work soon after its arrival this Saturday. The crews will remain on the job for as long as their assistance is needed. They are likely to face extreme winter weather conditions including ice, snow and unusually cold temperatures.
In the past, FPL has provided assistance to areas impacted by major weather events, including the deployment of approximately 1,000 FPL workers to the Northeast in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
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 4.6 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 10,000 employees as of year-end 2012. During the five-year period ended December 31, 2012, the company delivered the best service reliability among Florida investor-owned utilities. As of year-end 2012, its typical residential customer bills are the lowest in Florida, and based on data available in July 2012, are about 26 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 is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.
SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company