PENSACOLA, Florida – 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 insuring the long-term reliability of Northwest Florida’s energy infrastructure. Several of those projects are taking place right here 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 S. Tarragona Street from Church Street to E. Garden Street and a second from the intersection of S. 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 be making every effort not to disrupt business and have the least amount of impact on customers in the area.

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,” added DelaHaya. “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.”

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Gulf Power is an investor-owned energy provider with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 447,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at MyGulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page. News information can be found at GulfPowerNews.com.

News Media Contacts:

Jeff Rogers
External Communications & Brand Manager
850-444-6243, cell 850-572-5511

Rick DelaHaya
Media Relations Supervisor
850-444-6433, cell 318-294-2338

Natalie Smith
Media Relations
850-444-6784, cell 850-375-6123