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Drew WilsonOctober 12, 2018

The platoon of power professionals working to get electricity restored in the Florida Panhandle has jumped to 4,400 according to Gulf Power, the region’s major utility company. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Michael, more than 400,000 utility customers in Florida were without power, and about a third of those were Gulf Power Customers. The […]

Drew WilsonOctober 12, 2018

Panhandle utility company Gulf Power announced Thursday night that it has started making progress in its power restoration and rebuilding process in Panama City, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Michael. The company has restored power to more than 32,000 customers overall — an increase of 7,000 from its Thursday afternoon update — […]

Scott PowersOctober 12, 2018

People at more than 351,000 homes and businesses smashed by Hurricane Michael Wednesday are getting up in the dark for the second morning, though the numbers without power have been trimmed by about 50,000 since the peak of the blackout Thursday morning. And Gov. Rick Scott announced he is authorizing state- and federally-backed push crews […]

Drew WilsonOctober 11, 2018

Utility company Gulf Power said Thursday that it’s already restored power to 25,000 customers affected by Hurricane Michael, but nearly a quarter of its 457,000 customers are still waiting for their lights to come back on. Gulf Power said between its own workers and personnel flying in from across the country, it has 3,000 boots […]

Scott PowersOctober 11, 2018

The numbers of homes and businesses without power dipped only slightly overnight from a peak of 388,000 early Wednesday evening to 366,000 late Wednesday night to 359,000 early Thursday morning as the Florida Panhandle and other parts of the state awake from Hurricane Michael’s fury. Bay County, where the storm came ashore mid-afternoon Thursday with […]

Scott PowersOctober 10, 2018

More than 388,000 homes and businesses lost power in the onslaught of Michael, with Bay County taking the brunt, according to the first power-outage release issued shortly before 6 p.m. by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. In Bay County, where Michael came ashore, more than 99,000 of the 108,000 homes and businesses were without […]

Jim RosicaJuly 31, 2018

The Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday issued its report on electric utilities’ hurricane preparedness and restoration actions and “found that, overall, the length of power outages was reduced, indicating that storm hardening practices work.” In 2006, the PSC ordered electric utilities to implement extensive activities to improve system resilience. That was followed by 10 […]

Staff ReportsMay 21, 2018

With last year’s Atlantic storm season among the strongest, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) urges residents to prepare now for the 2018 hurricane season, which runs June 1-Nov. 30. The commission, which issued a press release Monday, regulates the state’s investor-owned utilities. “Hurricane preparedness should top our to-do lists,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham […]

Staff ReportsOctober 3, 2017

The Public Service Commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, on Tuesday set into motion its plan “to review electric utility hurricane preparedness and restoration actions during the 2017 hurricane season,” the panel said in a press release. “The review will explore the potential to further minimize infrastructure damage that results in outages,” the release said. Chairman […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 20, 2017

The chair of the state’s Public Service Commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, says her board also has started “thinking” about how it can help get power back on quicker after major storms. Julie I. Brown released a statement Wednesday morning, more than a week after Hurricane Irma knocked out electricity to millions of Florida homes […]

Tag: power outages
Image via Carlton Ward Jr.

Gulf Power says 4,400 power pros working 24/7 on Panhandle restoration

Gulf Power has restored power to 4K customers in Panama City

351,000 come through second night without power

Gulf Power restores power to 25K customers, but there’s a long way to go

359,000 awakening without electricity after Hurricane Michael

Power outages now affecting 388,000 customers after Hurricane Michael

Power outages reduced, storm hardening works, PSC says

Prep for hurricanes, PSC reminds Floridians

Utility regulators plan hurricane prep, restoration review

PSC enters hurricane readiness debate