Planned upgrades focus on reducing outages, strengthening critical infrastructure and restoring service faster after severe weather
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) will continue building a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient electric grid in Bay County in 2026, advancing its ongoing commitment to reduce outages and restore power faster following major storms[1].
What are the Upgrades FPL is Making in Bay County in 2026?
This year, FPL plans to complete the following infrastructure improvements in Bay County:
- 51 Storm Secure Underground Program (SSUP) projects, replacing overhead neighborhood power lines with more resilient underground lines.
- 428 miles of power lines will undergo tree and vegetation trimming, addressing one of the leading causes of power outages.
- 1,658 power poles will be inspected, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.
How is FPL Improving Reliability Across Northwest Florida?
While no electric system can be made completely resistant to the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events, across Northwest Florida, FPL continuously pioneers new technology and enhances the energy grid to reduce outage times and improve overall reliability for customers during both good weather and bad, including:
- More than 1.6 million customer interruptions avoided in 2025 due to self-healing smart grid technology.
- 39% fewer wooden transmission structures in Northwest Florida as part of FPL’s efforts to harden the grid with steel and concrete structures.
- More than 150 miles of neighborhood power lines placed underground in Northwest Florida.
- 11,451 smart grid devices installed in Northwest Florida to improve outage detection and response.
How Reliable is FPL?
FPL highlights the work behind one of the nation’s strongest, smartest and most storm-resilient electric grids in its annual report to the Florida Public Service Commission. With service reliability that’s approximately 67% better than the national average, FPL’s transmission and distribution system delivers top performance and dependable electricity customers can count on. Those results earned FPL national recognition. PA Consulting named FPL the 2025 ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award winner for delivering outstanding service reliability to more than 6 million customer accounts across Florida. PA Consulting also awarded FPL its national Reliability Value Award for keeping customer bills as low as possible while investing strategically in the electric grid to meet current and future energy needs.
A word from Shane Boyett, local external affairs manager for FPL:
“Our dedicated team is committed to providing customers in Bay County with safe and reliable electric service, while keeping bills as low as possible. Although no energy grid is storm proof, these upgrades have improved service reliability by more than 56% since 2018 in Northwest Florida, enhancing reliability day-to-day and during hurricanes and severe weather for our customers.”
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) will continue building a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient electric grid in Bay County in 2026, advancing its ongoing commitment to reduce outages and restore power faster following major storms.
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