Area residents need not be alarmed if they see low-flying helicopters hovering around Tampa Electric transmission lines during the next week. It’s part of the company’s ongoing inspection of transmission equipment.
Beginning Wednesday, a low-flying helicopter will conduct aerial surveys of Tampa Electric’s high-voltage power lines. A helicopter will fly between 30 and 300 feet above the lines and poles while workers inspect equipment using infrared technology or traditional cameras. Crews will survey Tampa Electric’s entire 1,300-mile system of high-voltage transmission lines.
Work will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday and continue for about a week during daylight hours. The survey will be complete by July 23, weather permitting. Tampa Electric has hired Summit Helicopter, of Pacoima, Calif., to conduct the inspections.
The inspections are taking place along Tampa Electric’s urban and rural rights of way. Some inspections will take place within view of area roads and neighborhoods. Local law enforcement officials will be notified.
The inspections are part of the company’s ongoing maintenance of transmission equipment to provide the highest level of reliability.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves about 765,000 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.
