Underground power lines perform better during hurricanes as grid hardening expands across Florida, FPL says

As Florida enters another hurricane season, Florida Power & Light said ongoing efforts to strengthen the state's electrical grid are helping reduce outages and speed up power restoration after major storms.

The utility's Storm Secure Underground Program, launched after Hurricane Irma in 2017, focuses on making the power grid more resilient by burying power lines underground and reinforcing critical overhead infrastructure.

Since the initiative began, FPL said approximately 2,000 miles of power lines have been relocated underground across Florida. According to the company, underground lines performed five to 14 times better than overhead lines during Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024.

FPL said the undergrounding effort is designed to reduce storm-related outages and help restore power more quickly after severe weather.

For major transmission lines that cannot be placed underground, the company has reinforced them with concrete or steel structures. These lines provide power to critical facilities, including hospitals, 911 call centers and first responder stations.

According to FPL, about 85% of the main power lines in its service area have either been hardened or buried underground. While much of the work completed so far has been concentrated in Florida's Panhandle, the company says it plans to harden 100% of its main power lines over the next decade.

The improvements come as Florida has avoided a direct landfall from a tropical system in South Florida for nearly nine years, though utility officials continue preparing for future storms and the potential impact they could have on the state's power grid.