Progress Energy Florida Prepared for 2006 Hurricane Season

WINTER GARDEN, Fla., May 24 /PRNewswire/ — Progress Energy Florida (PEF) today completed preparations for the 2006 hurricane season by conducting its annual storm drill.

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“While our Florida service area was spared direct strikes from hurricanes last year, we must continue to prepare for the worst,” said David McDonald, PEF’s system storm coordinator. “With forecasts calling for more active hurricane seasons, our storm-response plan must be tested and refined so our employees are ready if disaster strikes.”

The drill was coordinated from PEF’s storm center facility in Winter Garden and involved employees throughout the company. Hurricane season begins June 1.

Last year, PEF mobilized hundreds of line crews and support personnel to help restore power after hurricanes ravaged other states and South Florida. As a member of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, a mutual-aid organization for investor-owned utilities, the company dispatched employees to the Gulf after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and to South Florida after Hurricane Wilma left millions in the dark.

This year’s drill emphasized even greater accuracy in the estimated time it takes to restore power after a hurricane, which is critical information for customers, especially during prolonged outages. The drill also focused on the relationships the company has with local emergency management agencies. When hurricanes threaten, PEF employees are assigned to support local governments throughout the company’s 35-county service area. They work closely with local officials before, during and after hurricanes to expedite restoration of service.

Also this year, PEF has emphasized increased public understanding of how trees can interfere with service during storms.

“With the increased number of hurricanes in the past two years, more people are realizing that the type of tree they plant – and location – can have a significant effect on electric reliability for their home and their neighbors’ homes,” said McDonald. “Wind-blown trees and limbs are, by far, the leading cause of power outages.”

To promote public awareness of how trees planted near power lines can cause outages, the company recently kicked off its “Know Where You Grow” campaign. PEF gave away 8,000 low-growing trees and shrubs to customers throughout Florida, along with instructions on proper care and planting. PEF is also removing and trimming numerous trees that the company has identified as threats to electrical lines in a storm. The trees are being removed with the permission of property owners.

   Progress Energy offers these safety tips to prepare for hurricanes:     – To prepare for outages, have plenty of fresh batteries for flashlights      and radios.    – If rising water threatens your home, turn off the power at the circuit      breaker panel or fuse box before water enters your home. Have an      electrician inspect your system before turning the power back on after      flooding.    – Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands, or      while standing on a wet or damp surface.    – When using a gasoline-powered electric generator, operate it in well-      ventilated areas and only connect it to individual appliances.      Connecting a generator to a wall outlet in your home or building’s      electrical system is dangerous for customers and line crews working to      restore power. Never operate a generator indoors as carbon monoxide      buildup can be fatal.    – Don’t go sightseeing in your car during or after a hurricane.      Unnecessary vehicles on the road hinder crews from conducting vital      damage assessment and restoration work. Needless driving also increases      the risk of coming into contact with downed power lines, which may be      energized.    – Assume all downed power lines are live and stay away from them. If you      see a downed power line, call PEF at 800-228-8485 to report its      location.   

PEF customers who lose power should call the 24-hour automated outage line at 800-228-8485. By calling this number, customers can obtain the same information available from our customer service associates. It is the fastest way to report a power outage, and even offers an option to call customers back if updates are available on when power will be restored. This state-of-the-art technology is capable of handling more than 125,000 calls per hour during widespread outages.

For additional storm-safety tips, visit progress-energy.com/storm.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy , provides electricity and related services to more than 1.5 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing over 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy is the 2005 recipient of the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder’s Award for dedication, commitment and sustained improvement in customer service. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company’s Web site at progress-energy.com.

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Progress Energy Florida

CONTACT: Progress Energy Florida 24-hour media line, +1-866-520-6397

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