Utility is working with city, beefing up maintenance and evaluating sites for potential new lighting
Tampa Electric has made Seminole Heights and surrounding areas its top priority for lighting repair.
Since Hurricane Irma, Tampa Electric has repaired more than 10,000 street lights affected by the storm throughout its service area. With recent public safety concerns, the company is working to accelerate repairs in Seminole Heights and the surrounding areas. Tampa Electric also is working closely with the city of Tampa to review multiple locations in the area for potential new lighting.
New lights will be light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which provide better-quality light and good nighttime color rendering, which benefits law enforcement and may help to curb crime.
"In addition to the shorter days of autumn, recent criminal activity in this area has made everyone more aware of their surroundings," said Art Bosshart, Tampa Electric's manager of Outdoor Lighting. "We are proud to be here for our community by supporting the safety of our customers and their neighborhoods."
Tampa Electric has accelerated the maintenance schedule in Seminole Heights to repair all outages as quickly as possible. For example, 10 crews worked in the area Tuesday, instead of the typical one or two. In the past six weeks, more than 250 street lights and area lights in this neighborhood have been repaired, with more to come.
Help Tampa Electric keep our streets safe:
- To report a malfunctioning street light, complete the online form at tampaelectric.com/ReportLight or call Tampa Electric Customer Care at 813-223-0800
- If you are interested in adding an area light to your property, complete the online form at tampaelectric.com/BrightChoices or call 813-635-1500
Tampa Electric, one of Florida's largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves about 750,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
