What’s Happening in Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) Right of Way Through Verandah

Did you know there are easement documents dating back sixty-five years that allow FPL to “… set and maintain poles and anchors; distribution and transmission lines; keep clear all trees, bushes and underbrush; and operate and maintain said lines …” right through the heart of Verandah?

Following the unprecedented hurricane seasons of 2004-2005 FPL embarked on a long-term infrastructure strengthening effort to help communities better respond to severe weather. While the work improves FPL’s service reliability, it reports that its greatest value lies in its potential to help the utility restore power to customers faster after a storm strikes.

“FPL takes hurricane season very seriously and we prepare for it year-round,” says Keith Hardy, FPL’s vice president of Distribution. “We are investing $200 million this year to strengthen our electric grid, replace poles and improve reliable service. This is one of the ways we help prepare the communities we serve.” In Fort Myers, FPL will strengthen eight main power lines, maintain vegetation along 270 miles of power lines to prevent power outages and ensure public safety by clearing tree branches and limbs that could cause contact with power lines, especially during storms. and inspect 6,124 power poles as part of an eight-year inspection cycle. 

Right here in Verandah, between April and June, FPL will lay down over 5,000 wooden platforms for the trucks and cranes to sit on while performing the work to replace over thirty poles. They are removing and replacing the smaller pole to match up with the larger one and will also be adding a higher capacity line for better service reliability. “This helps with the continuation of growth that is taking place and helps us to keep power on during a severe storm so that customers don’t have to go without power for a long time,” said FPL.