New FPL Power Tracker online map is now live, providing customers with easy access to outage information

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Jul 14, 2011, 07:45 ET

JUNO BEACH, Fla., July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company today officially launched the FPL Power Tracker, a new interactive online map that shows in near real-time the location of any power outages across the company's 35-county service territory.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110301/FL56993LOGO )

Customers can enter an address, city or ZIP code at http://www.FPLmaps.com to find out if there are any power outages currently affecting an area. If a customer is currently experiencing an outage, he or she can access the FPL Power Tracker map via a battery-powered laptop with Internet connection, most smart phones and Internet devices, or by asking a friend or family member to go online from another location.

The map mirrors the information provided to customers who call FPL's customer care center and is based on data updated every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. Clicking on an outage icon reveals detailed information, including:

The time that an outage began or was reported
The number of FPL customers affected by a particular outage
The cause of an outage
The latest status report on the progress of the restoration
The estimated time that power will be restored

In any outage, FPL strives to provide customers with an accurate estimate of when power will be restored. This estimate is based on a number of factors, including the outage's cause, the current availability of restoration crews and equipment, and the complexity of the repair. Throughout the restoration process, FPL may revise a restoration estimate if conditions change or new information arises.

"At FPL, we're proud to deliver more than 99.98 percent service reliability for our customers, but we know that any power interruption is an inconvenience. Now, when an outage occurs, the FPL Power Tracker can help save our customers time and frustration by providing access to timely and accurate information – allowing them to monitor the status of a restoration as it progresses, without having to make a single phone call," said Tim Fitzpatrick, FPL's vice president of marketing and corporate communication.

FPL's overall service reliability ranks among the best in the nation. Over the past four years, the company has reduced the average number of outages its customers experience by more than 30 percent.

Power outages occur for myriad reasons. In Florida, the lightning capital of the nation, weather contributes to outages every day. Coastal wind gusts can blow debris into overhead power lines. Heavy downpours can flood underground power lines. Lightning can strike essential electrical equipment.

Beyond the weather, animals such as iguanas and squirrels can infiltrate substations, inadvertently triggering outages. And one of the most frequent causes of power outages and flickers is vegetation – tree branches, palm fronds and other plants – coming into contact with electrical equipment.

For more information about the many challenges to electric service reliability, watch FPL's new "Defending the Grid" video on YouTube.

In the event that a major tropical storm or hurricane strikes FPL's service territory, a large number of outages can be expected. If this occurs, the FPL Power Tracker will enter "storm mode" during the initial phases of restoration and will not display details for individual outages in affected counties. Instead, the map will provide regional updates in conjunction with the company's four daily restoration reports. FPL also will communicate restoration information via its mobile storm center (mobile.FPL.com), Twitter, Facebook, FPL.com and FPLBlog.com.

"We are committed to delivering exceptional value and service to our customers. The FPL Power Tracker represents the next major step in our efforts to provide customers with more information about their service than ever before," Fitzpatrick said. Two years ago, FPL introduced its popular System Improvements Map, which enables customers to see where infrastructure improvements, such as power line strengthening and advanced-infrared technology inspections, have been made.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with approximately 10,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company