03290152 Transmission Line Project

About the need for a new transmission line

An expansion of the electrical system in northeast Miami-Dade County is needed to respond in a timely manner to the existing and future energy needs of FPL customers.  More customers are moving into the area and, on average, residential customers use 25 percent more electricity than they did 20 years ago. 

About the project

The 138-kilovolt transmission line will expand the power line system by connecting two existing substations, one located on NE 127th Street and NE 14th Avenue, and the other one located on NW 93rd Street, between NW 5th and 6th Avenue, east of I-95.

About the project’s siting process

When FPL identifies a need to expand the transmission line system in any given area, a siting team is created and a siting plan is developed.  A primary part of that plan involves the community outreach effort.  FPL understands customers want to be educated and informed about the need and purpose of new power lines.  The community outreach aims to provide them with a number of opportunities so that they can be informed while providing input on the potential routes.

Community input is one of several important factors taken under consideration when studying potential routes for a power line. The selection of the preferred route follows a balanced approach that takes into consideration engineering requirements, community feedback, environmental factors and regulations, public safety, costs, long range area planning, and land use.

About the community outreach component

For this project, FPL conducted a comprehensive outreach effort to provide all stakeholders the opportunity to provide FPL’s siting team with much needed input as to how to go about selecting the preferred route. The effort included open houses, web page information, mailers, a dedicated toll free phone line, advertisements, meetings with city and county officials, and civic and home owner associations.  FPL engaged the community in an open dialogue, exchanging information with and gathering comments from residents, business owners, city officials, and members of civic organizations. FPL conducted 6 open houses where customers were able to discuss the need for the new transmission line, look at the study area, discuss potential routes and share their concerns with FPL’s representatives. 

About the selection of the preferred route

The preferred route was chosen following months of evaluation of potential route alternatives and careful consideration of suggestions provided by customers, community leaders, and government officials.  As a result, FPL selected a route that strives to minimize use of residential areas while maximizing the use of commercial streets and major thoroughfares.

The preferred route starts from the substation located on NW 93rd Street, and heads west to NW 7th Avenue then north to NW 135th Street and then east to NE 14th Avenue and then south to the substation at NE 127th Street.

To conclude, FPL is confident this transmission line project will serve all our customers in the most reliable way and with the least impact on their communities. We thank them for their input and involvement.