Strengthening the Energy Grid in Melbourne and Palm Bay: FPL Details Efforts to Improve Storm Resiliency, Overall Reliability

FPL: moving power lines underground, strengthening overhead lines and installing intelligent devices

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA– In 2023, FPL plans to make a number of upgrades in Melbourne and Palm Bay as part of its ongoing effort to improve resiliency in the face of severe weather.

These investments include moving more power lines underground, strengthening overhead lines and installing more intelligent devices along the energy grid to help detect potential problems and restore power faster when outages do occur.

The investments have the added benefit of improving day-to-day reliability for customers as well.

2023 improvements in the Melbourne area 

FPL plans to make the following improvements in and near Melbourne this year: 

■ Maintaining trees and vegetation – a common cause of power outages, particularly during hurricanes and severe weather — along 250 miles of power lines. 

■ Inspecting 4,650 power poles in Melbourne as part of an eight-year inspection cycle, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.  

■ Installing smart grid technology, including 43 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines to help detect problems and restore service faster when outages occur. 

■ Inspecting 59 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology to detect issues before they cause a power interruption. 

When the planned 2023 work is completed, FPL will have made the following improvements in and near Melbourne since the historic 2004-2005 hurricane seasons: 

■ Strengthened 58 main power lines, including those that serve critical services. 

■ Inspected and maintained vegetation near 2,751 miles of power lines — an average of 162 miles per year.  

■ Inspected all 22,134 power poles every eight years. 

■ Installed smart grid technology, including 2,143 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines. 

■ Inspected 133 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology. 

2023 improvements in the Palm Bay area 

FPL plans to make the following improvements in and near Palm Bay this year: 

■ 166 Storm Secure Underground Program (SSUP) projects planned. The program started in 2018 to replace more overhead neighborhood power lines with underground service.

■ Strengthening three main power lines, including those that serve critical services that are necessary for communities to recover faster after major storms. 

■ Maintaining trees and vegetation – a common cause of power outages, particularly during hurricanes and severe weather — along 311 miles of power lines. 

■ Inspecting 1,589 power poles in Palm Bay as part of an eight-year inspection cycle, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.  

■ Installing smart grid technology, including 17 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines to help detect problems and restore service faster when outages occur. 

■ Inspecting 39 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology to detect issues before they cause a power interruption. 

When the planned 2023 work is completed, FPL will have made the following improvements in and near Palm Bay since the historic 2004-2005 hurricane seasons: 

■ Strengthened 38 main power lines, including those that serve critical services. 

■ Inspected and maintained vegetation near 3,043 miles of power lines — an average of 179 miles per year.  

■ Inspected all 46,619 power poles every eight years. 

■ Installed smart grid technology, including 3,071 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines. 

■ Inspected 124 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology. 

“No energy grid is hurricane-proof, and storms will continue to cause power outages, but detailed assessments following 2022’s Hurricanes Ian and Nicole showed FPL’s investments to storm-harden its energy grid continue to benefit customers, speeding restoration,” said Manny Miranda, executive vice president of Power Delivery for FPL. 

Strengthening power poles, managing trees and vegetation near power lines, installing smart grid technology to fix problems before they affect customers, and using robots and drones to regularly inspect equipment have all helped FPL improve its service reliability by 41% since 2006. These upgrades have helped reduce both the number and duration of outages, as well as the number of momentary interruptions or power flickers. 

SSUP is a concerted effort to place more neighborhood power lines underground. It is designed to help speed restoration efforts, reduce restoration costs, and reduce customer outages.

FPL completed more than 1,200 SSUP projects since SSUP started and will expand the program in 2023, with about 750 projects planned across the state. 

“We are committed to investing in innovative solutions and technology,” said Michele Murrell, local external affairs advisor for FPL. “We work year-round so our customers across Florida can resume their normal lives safely and as quickly as possible after storms.” 

In 2022, for the seventh time in eight years, FPL was awarded the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award.

Presented by PA Consulting, the award is widely regarded in the energy industry as one of the most prestigious honors and reinforces FPL’s commitment to providing customers with the nation’s most reliable service.

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