Consumers Energy to Help Out in Florida in Advance of Hurricane Dorian
Consumers Energy is sending more than 60 employees to Florida this weekend to help residents prepare for Hurricane Dorian.
Working with host utility Florida Light and Power, Consumers will send 15 three-person lineworker crews, three electric service workers, several field leaders and other support personnel and equipment. The workers may be in Florida for up to three weeks.
Florida Light and Power made the request via a collection of regional mutual assistance networks operated by electric utilities. Consumers is part of the Great Lakes Mutual Assistance organization.
The level of support balances the needs of the energy company’s customers with the desire to help fellow utilities. Consumers vice president of electric operations Guy Packard says, “In July, crews from six states assisted us as we restored power to more than 220,000 of our Consumers Energy customers. Now it’s our turn to help others in their time of need.”
The hurricane, forecast to make landfall by early Tuesday, September 3, is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm by then with wind speeds of up to 140 mph.