When you think about your electric utility, do you think about job creation, tourism and worldwide transportation? And, when you think about an airport, do you envision economic growth, hurricane preparedness and energy efficiency? Well, you should. Tampa Electric does more than just keep the lights on. We help bring dream vacations, family reunions and big business deals to life. For more than 50 years, we have worked behind the scenes with Tampa International Airport (TIA) to deliver transportation improvements, economic growth, and reliable electricity that keeps Tampa Bay, and the world, moving.
As a business leader, you know the value of a strong business partnership. At Tampa Electric, we believe good partnerships build successful businesses. That’s why our account managers work directly with large and mid-size companies to offer energy-efficiency solutions and support infrastructure enhancements. Our account management team aims to help you grow your business and save money with energy-efficient products and services - as Tampa International Airport has over the years.
Working as a team
Commercial Account Manager, Drew Sirianni, a 34-year veteran at Tampa Electric, is driven to learn about his customers needs and connect them to beneficial resources. As the account manager for Tampa International Airport, Drew is personally responsible for ensuring we consistently deliver reliable energy and cost-saving services to one of the fastest-growing international airports in the United States. For more than 15 years, Drew has guaranteed Tampa International Airport and Tampa Electric maintain a close working relationship – providing more than 23 million passengers a year with fond memories of their travel. Even though you may not realize it, Tampa Electric and the TIA maintenance team work year-round to ensure the airport has the power and services it needs to provide excellent customer service.
Drew Sirianni, Key Account Manager at Tampa Electric working with the Maintenance team at TIA.
Delivering reliability
Reliable, always-on electricity helps Tampa International Airport travelers get where they need to go on time and hassle-free. It’s one of the reasons TIA was named J.D. Power's #1 Large Airport in Customer Satisfaction for 2022 and 2023. Each week, Drew meets with Nick D’Jimas, Senior Manager of TIA’s Maintenance Department, and his team to foster open communication, develop partnership opportunities and inspect, maintain and evaluate Tampa Electric’s infrastructure and equipment at TIA. Tampa Electric works diligently behind the scenes delivering safe and reliable electricity to keep the baggage moving, the computers running, the planes taxiing and the coffee flowing.
Chip Whitworth, VP of Electric Delivery at Tampa Electric and the Maintenance team at TIA, including Ben Robins, VP of Maintenance, tour of our Skyway substation.
Partnering for the future
As Tampa International Airport continues serving more passengers, it needs more space and power. To support the airport’s 2019 expansion, TIA and Tampa Electric worked together to relocate and re-design the entire electrical system, known as the “CUP” or Central Utility Plant. Thanks to our partnership, Tampa Electric now has the capability to serve the airport’s current electrical needs and those of the new
Preparing for severe weather
As a lifeline for the Tampa Bay area, Tampa International Airport needs timely and accurate information about storm conditions, electrical outages and power restoration activities. As an experienced account manager, Drew helps TIA make informed decisions that save resources, time and money. During hurricanes and severe weather, Tampa Electric’s account managers, like Drew, hunker down in Tampa Electric’s Distribution Control Center to keep key customers like TIA updated on storm restoration activities around the clock.
Tampa Electric and TIA also work together on storm preparedness. As Hillsborough County's sole aviation provider, TIA is responsible to the public for providing reliable transportation to safety before a storm. As a result, Tampa Electric inspects its infrastructure annually to ensure efficiency and reliability. As the airport has grown, we've significantly upgraded our system to ensure TIA is more storm resistant.
To further our storm preparedness partnership, to a storm preparedness meeting to better understand how we feed power to the airport, learn more about our redundancy capabilities, and have an opportunity to visit the Skyway substation - our main substation providing the airport. Chip Whitworth, Vice President of Electric Delivery at Tampa Electric, gave the team at TIA, including Ben Robins, Vice President of Maintenance, an on-site tour of our substation. Chip also demonstrated the functions and capabilities of the substation and its reliability during a storm. As part of our long-term partnership, TIA makes space available to Tampa Electric for incident-based operations during storm restoration.
Chip Whitworth, VP of Electric Delivery at Tampa Electric and the Maintenance team at TIA, including Ben Robins, VP of Maintenance, tour of our Skyway substation.
Supporting sustainability
Recently, TIA and Tampa Electric worked together to unveil a canopy of solar panels on the top floor of the airport’s south Economy Parking Garage. These panels, part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability by Tampa Electric and the airport, provide solar energy to Tampa Electric’s customers and shade for parking patrons. The electricity the panels produce goes to Tampa Electric’s grid to benefit nearly 830,000 customers, including Tampa International Airport.
Tampa Electric also worked with TIA to ensure the proper electrical infrastructure and supply were available to convert their gas-powered buses to electricity. The new fuel-saving electric buses transport employees from the employee parking lot to the main terminal.
Together, our companies fuel world-class travel, tourism, sustainability, reliability and economic growth for the Tampa Bay community and the world! To learn how we can help your business save energy and money and get it back to work sooner after a storm, contact your account manager or call 813-228-1010.
