PENSACOLA — Gulf Power crews are working throughout Northwest Florida to storm-harden and improve the way energy is delivered, an initiative aimed at reducing the impact of future storms and ensuring the long-term reliability of local energy infrastructure.
Several of those projects are taking place in Pensacola.
Beginning this month, crews will start upgrading systems in the downtown Pensacola area to ensure continued capacity as the area continues to grow.
As part of the project, crews will replace and consolidate numerous utility poles along a one-half mile corridor on South Tarragona Street, from Church Street to East Garden Street, and a second from the intersection of South Tarragona and Government Streets to Alcaniz Street. Many overhead line crossings and transformers will also be removed, improving aesthetics of the area.
“This project is part of our commitment to provide safe, clean and reliable energy as we meet our customers’ needs today, tomorrow and into the future,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson. “This is one example of how Gulf Power is investing in the long-term reliability of our energy infrastructure as our area grows.”
Crews will try to avoid disrupting business and have the least amount of impact on customers in the area, according to a media release.
As part of the overall strengthening initiative, Gulf Power will also storm harden three separate areas throughout Pensacola to make them more resilient. The projects will replace aged utility poles and upgrade hardware and overhead equipment. Work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by November.
These projects are not the first for Pensacola. From 2010 until 2016 Gulf Power spent more than $15 million building a smarter energy infrastructure. This includes substation upgrades, and upgrading transmission infrastructure using the latest technologies to reduce outages.
“This is a part of the many investments Gulf Power is making to ensure we continue to maintain high reliability and meet future growth needs,” DelaHaya said. “These are proactive measures to improve the infrastructure to withstand future storms, develop smarter energy delivery systems, and continue to meet the energy needs of our customers.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Gulf Power crews strengthen energy grid