Trucks left this morning for a port in Louisiana; crews will begin work on island in mid-January
Tampa Electric is sending about 25 people and two dozen vehicles to Puerto Rico to accelerate ongoing power restoration efforts on the devastated island.
Bucket trucks and other vehicles left this morning for the two-day drive to the Port of Lake Charles (La.), where they will travel by barge to Puerto Rico. Line workers and other personnel will fly to the island by Jan. 12 and will begin restoration assistance on Jan. 15. The crews are prepared to remain in Puerto Rico for six weeks.
Three months after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, electricity remains scarce.
Tampa Electric is one of several members of the Edison Electric Institute that has pledged mutual assistance to support the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in their efforts to restore power. Crews supporting the restoration efforts of other utilities are paid by the host utility.
"Tampa Electric prides itself on being a good community partner," said Gerry Chasse, Tampa Electric's vice president of Energy Delivery. "This is a great way we can support our industry – and help to return the favor that so many other utilities have done for us, most recently during Hurricane Irma."
Tampa Electric, one of Florida's largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves about 750,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
