Pensacola, Fla. – Gulf Power Company has plans in place should an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico impact coastal areas. The utility operates three power plants on waterways in Northwest Florida.

“Clean water and reliable barge delivery of coal are critical to our ability to provide reliable electricity to our customers,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We’re monitoring the situation closely and have taken measures to ensure we can continue to operate normally. Right now we don’t anticipate any significant problems in meeting the electricity needs of our customers, but we are making preparations.”

At the company’s Plant Crist, located at the mouth of Escambia River on Governor’s Bayou, the utility has deployed booms across its cooling water intake canal.

“The booms are a precaution to keep our cooling water clean,” Rogers said. “We’re prepared to take similar precautions at Plant Smith in Bay County if necessary.”

Gulf Power’s power plants receive coal via the Mississippi River and Intracoastal Waterway. The company is preparing contingency plans for coal shipments if necessary and has already begun bringing coal down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to avoid the coastal waters of south Louisiana.

In addition, the utility has offered its disaster response expertise to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as well as local county emergency operations centers. A number of the company’s employees are already certified in the handling of hazardous materials. Additionally, volunteer opportunities are being communicated to the utilities 1400 employees.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility that serves more than 428,000 customers in 10 counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy to very satisfied customers in strong communities.