Taking on Washington, D.C. in the name of storm season preparation at Tampa Electric are,from left, Tony Faison, Derek Stock, Chip Whitworth and Blake Turner.
Storm season didn’t count on this team – and just how far they’d go to meet its fury with a strong game plan.
That’s the story we’re so ready to tell come Dec. 1 (or whenever Mother Nature finally decides Hurricane Season 2024 is over). And these are the Tampa Electric team members with unique voices of experience to tell it.
Destination: Washington, D.C., where a delegation from Tampa Electric journeyed last week to meet with members of the U.S. House of Representative to explain the many ways we work to keep our communities running during and after severe weather, especially through our Storm Protection Plan. We know storms are inevitable. What’s also inevitable is our commitment to safe, fast restoration. Sponsored by the Edison Electric Institute, the Congressional Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery Symposium brought our dedication into the light – where our team made it shine.
It’s a trip our team members have made before. But maybe never with as much urgency: forecasts say this storm season could be bad, possibly worse than we imagine.
Blake Turner shares his lineworker’s perspective with Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL).
But working together with representatives from other utilities – Dominion Energy, Duke Energy Florida, Entergy, Florida Power & Light Company and Southern Company (because we’re all in this together, helping each other after major storm impacts) – we’ve re-fortified connections. And as our annual media release expertly points out, we have a lot more to be proud of at Tampa Electric also. Since just last year, we’ve:
- Inspected nearly 36,000 wooden power poles, or 14 percent of our system.
- Strengthened or replaced nearly 1,600 distribution power poles, or 4 percent of those inspected.
- Strengthened more than 700 transmission structures.
- Trimmed tree limbs and branches from about 2,500 miles of overhead power lines, or 33 percent.
Strengthening Our People Connections
At the end of the day – or the major storm – working through it safely and quickly is about people who share goals: getting the power back on with no injuries. While we focus on that, our elected leaders can help us gain access to disaster-relief funding if needed, and they can also communicate our hard post-storm restoration efforts to constituents.
The team meets with Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).
“On an extremely busy day on the Hill, we had a great crowd come out to meet the team and learn more about storm prep and recovery,” said Vice President of Federal Affairs Mike Sewell. “I’d say in an extremely polarized political environment, there was bipartisan appreciation for the hard work that goes into these efforts. The team was poised and professional and represented the company extremely well.”
And as Vice President of Electric Delivery Chip Whitworth shared:
“Representing Tampa Electric at the Congressional Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery Symposium, alongside our dedicated team, was an honor. Thanks to all who joined us, including members of the Florida congressional delegation. Your support underscores the importance of our work in restoring power after natural disasters and building a resilient and reliable grid to ensure we may keep the lights on for our communities. Together, we’ll continue to demonstrate a common intertest, collaboration, and commitment to serving our customers.”
When it comes to facing storm season, Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) is on our side.
What will storm season bring this year? No one knows yet – but what we do know with complete certainty is that we continue to do everything we can to get ready. That means going the extra mile, literally, and knowing the best defense is often a good defense, delivered right to the doorstep of power.
