By BILL ADAIR and LOUIS HAU
Published August 15, 2003
Florida is wired into the same power grid as the region crippled by Thursday's massive blackout, but energy experts say the state is less likely to suffer a similar catastrophe.
They say it is less reliant on imported energy than many states, and its robust internal grid withstands frequent lightning and the occasional hurricane without statewide shutdowns.
"Historically, Florida has not had these kinds of problems and probably is better protected than most places in the country to avoid them," said Jay Hakes, the federal government's chief energy analyst during the Clinton administration.
But Hakes, who served as Florida's energy director in the early 1980s, said the state is not immune to trouble. The statewide electrical grid is "a big operation and I think it works pretty well. But I don't think there are any guarantees in this business."
There are three major grids in the United States - one in the West, one in Texas, and the Eastern Interconnection Grid, which includes Florida and stretches into Canada.
But as a peninsula, Florida has only three significant links with the grid, according to Progress Energy Florida Inc.
Florida produces nearly all its own energy, depending on its northern neighbors for less than 10 percent of its power on a typical day.
Linda Campbell, director of reliability at the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, which oversees the state's power system, says that allows us to be more protected from catastrophic problems. If neighboring states have trouble, it's easier for Florida utilities to disconnect from the system, she said.
Aaron Perlut, a spokesman for Progress Energy Florida, said, "We're very self-sufficient."
Mike Twomey, president of Florida Utility Watch, a consumer group, said the state is in "reasonably good shape" because of its unique geography and the automatic systems that can separate the state's grid from the rest of the nation if there is a sudden crisis.
Beth Young, manager of grid operations for the Tampa Electric Co., agreed with Hakes that there are no guarantees about calamities, but she said the Hillsborough County utility is well-prepared.
"We can never say never," she said. "But we've set up a lot of things in place so that it doesn't happen here."
For Florida to experience the same widespread power outage as the Northeast did on Thursday, it would require an extraordinary chain of events. Young said the utilities have enough safeguards that such a catastrophe is highly unlikely.
The state's system is accustomed to severe weather, energy experts said.
"We've had hurricanes hit Florida and it has not put out the whole state," said Sanford Berg, an economics professor at the University of Florida and a member of Gov. Jeb Bush's commission on the state's energy needs. "That suggests to me that we have a pretty robust design of the grid."
Walter Revell, chairman of the energy commission, said Thursday's outage in the Northeast underscores the need for Florida to find new energy sources so it will not become too dependent on other states.
"It's overwhelming how dependent we are on electric power," Revell said. "Yet I read every week about some community that doesn't want a power plant or a transmission line near them."
