Florida Power & Light brings 2026 infrastructure upgrades to Sarasota County, Manatee County and Longboat Key

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) will continue building a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient electric grid in Sarasota County, Manatee County and Longboat Key in 2026, advancing its ongoing commitment to reduce outages and restore power faster following major storms[1].

What are the Upgrades FPL is Making in Sarasota County in 2026?

This year, FPL plans to complete the following local infrastructure improvements in Sarasota County:

• 14 Storm Secure Underground Program (SSUP) projects, replacing overhead neighborhood power lines with more resilient underground lines.
• Nine main power lines will be strengthened, including those serving critical facilities such as hospitals, 911 call centers, police and fire stations, water treatment facilities and county emergency operation centers. Stronger poles are less likely to fail in severe weather, which can help crews restore power more quickly after a storm event.
• 849 miles of power lines will undergo tree and vegetation trimming, addressing one of the leading causes of power outages.
• 6,169 power poles will be inspected, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.

What are the Upgrades FPL is Making in Manatee County in 2026?

This year, FPL plans to complete the following local infrastructure improvements in Manatee County:

• Two intelligent devices will be installed on main, neighborhood and underground power lines. These automated smart switches help identify outages and reroute power to prevent more widespread interruptions.
• Four main power lines will be strengthened, including those serving critical facilities such as hospitals, 911 call centers, police and fire stations, water treatment facilities and county emergency operation centers. Stronger poles are less likely to fail in severe weather, which can help crews restore power more quickly after a storm event.
• 594 miles of power lines will undergo tree and vegetation trimming, addressing one of the leading causes of power outages.
• 14,231 power poles will be inspected, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.

What are the Upgrades FPL is Making in Longboat Key in 2026?

This year, FPL plans to complete the following local infrastructure improvement in Longboat Key:

• One main power line will be strengthened, which may serve critical facilities such as hospitals, 911 call centers, police and fire stations, water treatment facilities and county emergency operation centers. Stronger poles are less likely to fail in severe weather, which can help crews restore power more quickly after a storm event.
• 67 miles of power lines will undergo tree and vegetation trimming, addressing one of the leading causes of power outages.
• 544 power poles will be inspected, strengthening or replacing those that no longer meet FPL’s industry-leading standards.

How is FPL Improving Reliability Across Florida?

While no electric system can be made completely resistant to the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events, across Florida, FPL continuously pioneers new technology and enhances the energy grid to reduce outage times and improve overall reliability for customers during both good weather and bad, including:

• More than 1.6 million customer interruptions avoided in 2025 due to self-healing smart grid technology.
• 246,000 intelligent devices installed across the FPL grid to detect potential issues.
• Nearly 2,000 miles of overhead neighborhood power lines are now underground.
• 85% of FPL’s main power lines have been hardened or placed underground to improve resilience against extreme weather.
• 97% of transmission structures are now steel or concrete, strengthening the system by replacing older wooden structures.

How Reliable is FPL?

FPL highlights the work behind one of the nation’s strongest, smartest and most storm-resilient electric grids in its annual report to the Florida Public Service Commission. With service reliability that’s approximately 67% better than the national average, FPL’s transmission and distribution system delivers top performance and dependable electricity customers can count on. Those results earned FPL national recognition. PA Consulting named FPL the 2025 ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award winner for delivering outstanding service reliability to more than 6 million customer accounts across Florida. PA Consulting also awarded FPL its national Reliability Value Award for keeping customer bills as low as possible while investing strategically in the electric grid to meet current and future energy needs.

A word from Devaney Iglesias, local external affairs manager for FPL:

“Our employees work every day in Sarasota County, Manatee County and Longboat Key to provide safe, reliable electric service while keeping customer bills as low as possible. By continuing to invest in our electric grid, we are strengthening resilience year-round and helping our communities recover faster when severe weather impacts our area.”

How to reach FPL:

• Florida Power & Light Company
• Juno Beach, Florida 33408
• 561-694-4442
• [email protected]