LCEC preparing power supplies for future storms on Sanibel

Sanibel residents experienced a daunting two-week power outage after Hurricane Ian. This left many struggling without essential services.

Now, the Lee County Electric Cooperative is taking steps to ensure they are better prepared for future storms.

Jeffrey Harvey recalled the challenging period without power, water or air conditioning.

“There was no power, no water, no AC, and so you just made do. It kind of limited your work day to daylight and what you could get done,” he said.

LCEC is determined to improve resilience on the island.

“We have vegetation management crews that will be coming to the island and trimming vegetation around the main circuits of the power lines,” said Karen Ryan from LCEC.

Harvey is particularly concerned about the vegetation.

“Most of the dead mangroves, if not a fire hazard, become in the next hurricane, they’ll get snapped off, and I think they’ll be flying around like javelins, doing damage to personal property and hopefully not, but maybe people, so that’s a concern.”

Ryan explained that LCEC has learned from past experiences.

“We will have materials stored at this location. It’s right at our substation. We’ll be able to safely protect a truck, an LCEC truck, so we already have one on the island after the storm passes, and then we’re partnering with the Sanibel community, and we’ll also have a fire truck and an ambulance located in this service center,” he said.

Mayor Richard Johnson emphasized the improvements.

“For me personally, this means the world to me, helping my community get back on its feet after the devastation that we’ve all experienced over the last few years,” Johnson said.

Harvey shared the struggles faced during the outage.

“It was tough with no power. I mean, it really limits your ability to do anything you’re working on, battery-powered tools and devices,” Harvey said.

With these efforts, Sanibel residents can look forward to a more robust power infrastructure in the face of future storms.

LCEC’s grid-hardening activities

Physically Changing Infrastructure to address floods, wind, modernization

• Infrastructure Inspections – poles, wires, equipment (repair or replace where needed)
• Conductor (wire) Replacement – Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral
• Elevation of equipment in substations – flood-prone areas
• Upgrading – pole replacements, strengthening poles with guy wires
• Additional feeders – Marco Island, Cape Coral, Immokalee, Sanibel
• Vegetation Management – trimming trees/vegetation around the main circuits

Resiliency – enhanced ability to recover quickly – Planning for threats

• Additional technology – automated switches, protective devices
• Mutual aid agreements with contractors and the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association
• Heightened government relations
• Base Camp agreements (food/housing for nationwide response crews)
• Procurement of two mobile power transformers (for substation maintenance or redundancy)
• Substation expansions – capacity/redundancy – Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral, Immokalee, Collier County.
• Consideration of conversion from underground facilities to overhead facilities in low-lying areas
• Potential Hazard Mitigation Grant funding
• Addition of five comprehensive Service Centers (Sanibel, West Cape, Lehigh, Belle Meade, Upper Captiva)
• Expansion of current Service Centers (Immokalee, North Fort Myers)
• Future load analysis