Florida Power & Light Co. announced last week that more than 300 of its employees and contractors were traveling to New England to help restore power in areas impacted by a damaging Nor'easter.
More than 1 million people lost power due to the storm, and several hundred thousand remain without power as of last Tuesday morning. FPL crews were headed to help utilities in Maine and Connecticut.
"This is what we do. When severe weather strikes, power companies work together to get the lights back on," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "Just last month, crews from New England came to Florida to help restore power following Hurricane Irma, and we're honored to back them up now."
The FPL line workers, contractors and support staff began their more than 1,000-mile journey in convoys of trucks that left Florida this morning. They will remain in New England for as long as their assistance is needed.
Partner utility personnel play a critical role in the restoration of power following severe weather events, such as hurricanes, ice storms and tornadoes. In September, crews from 30 states and Canada came to Florida, helping FPL restore power to millions of customers in a matter of days.
FPL crews have traveled across the country to help restore power following major weather events many times in the past, including the deployment of approximately 1,000 FPL personnel to the Northeast in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
