FPL Plans Improvements to Sarasota Energy Grid
![FPL is planning energy improvements ahead of this year's storm season.](https://res.cloudinary.com/sagacity/image/upload/c_crop,h_3648,w_5472,x_0,y_0/c_limit,dpr_auto,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_80,w_1080/Photo_1_FPL_zcwko1.png)
FPL is planning energy improvements ahead of this year's storm season.
Image: Courtesy Photo
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) plans to upgrade the energy grid in Sarasota in 2022 to enhance day-to-day reliability and improve resiliency in the face of severe weather. Improvements include five Storm Secure Underground Pilot Program projects; strengthening 25 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 1,020 miles of power lines; inspecting 16,035 power poles in Sarasota 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 90 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines to help detect problems and restore service faster when outages occur; and inspecting 173 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology to detect issues before they cause a power interruption.