While we're committed to delivering reliable electric service, power outages are inevitable. Our service area of West Central Florida is prone to severe weather such as tropical storms, hurricanes and flooding. To ensure we restore service as quickly as possible, we prepare and train year-round by developing and completing mock storm drills and power restoration scenarios, testing emergency response plans, making investments in smart technology and hardening our system through our Storm Protection Plan. Our proactive approach ensures we continue delivering 99.98% service reliability in blue skies and gray by reducing storm damage, power outage durations and restoration costs. 

During severe weather, when unpredictable safety hazards pose a risk to you and our crew members, safety is our top priority. That’s why conditions must be safe before our crews can restore power. To learn more about severe weather safety, visit our Storm Safety page.

Whenever power is interrupted, we take a priority restoration approach so our community can recover quickly. First, we ensure our power plants and transmission lines are in proper working order. Next, we restore power to essential services like hospitals, police and fire stations. Then, we focus on public services such as communication providers, supermarkets and home/building supply centers. After that, we restore power to the largest groups of customers in the shortest amount of time until every home and business has their power restored.

Timeline to Restore Power

It's important to know that during widespread outages, as soon as weather conditions permit, we begin the damage assessment process. We evaluate the severity of damage to power lines and infrastructure, identify affected areas and assess safety risks. Restoration coincides with this process and begins as soon as it is safe.  

• Based on our assessment, we may estimate a “global restoration time” - this is a date and time when we expect to have restored power to the majority of customers whose homes and businesses can safely receive it.  

• Many customers will have power restored before the global restoration time. The global estimated restoration time takes into consideration many factors including damage extent, location and the number of utility workers that we can safely allow to be working on our system at one time.  

Power restoration process

Our priority restoration plan helps restore power as safely and quickly as possible.

During power restorations, we serve all customers equally. However, due to storm and infrastructure damage, it is possible for your neighbors' power to come back on while yours is still out. There are many reasons this can happen.

1. Restoration crews may have to make repairs at multiple locations along a single electric service line. 
2. Customers in the same neighborhood can be on different service lines that have not been repaired yet. 
3. Damage to your electrical equipment or meter may prohibit power restoration to your home. 

Regardless of the situation, we will not stop working until everyone's power has been restored.