FPL Undergrounding

We are pleased to let city residents and businesses know that FPL is converting all neighborhood (lateral) lines from above-ground to underground. This entails removing overhead electric distribution wires, lines, and poles throughout Coral Gables and placing these facilities and equipment underground where possible, with new pad-mounted above-ground transformers being the only above-ground equipment. It is a big undertaking that will make our infrastructure stronger, safer, more reliable, and more resilient to outages and service interruptions. Utility undergrounding is something residents and businesses have wanted since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and, more recently, after Hurricane Irma in 2017. It also provides a more attractive aesthetic for our City Beautiful.

This project is now well underway, in year 2 of a massive multi-year conversion program that involves FPL’s equipment and facilities. We are especially pleased that the project is being paid for by FPL through their Storm Secure Underground Program, approved by the Florida Public Service Commission, with no direct cost to city residents or businesses. When the city began exploring the viability of undergrounding several years ago, the total cost was expected to exceed $400 million. Had the city paid for or had to even share in the cost of such a project, it would have required voter approval for the city to issue bonds and would have burdened property owners with thousands of dollars added to their property taxes each year for 30 years. The cost to our city property owners, our taxpayers, made this untenable. FPL’s Storm Secure Undergrounding Program (also called SSUP) is intended to do the work as part of FPL’s budget, not at the city’s expense.

Several city neighborhoods have already been converted within the past year or so. FPL expects that two-thirds of the city will have its electrical system converted to underground by the year 2034, while the remainder of the city may take another 15 years to complete, pending continued approval by the Public Service Commission. This project includes undergrounding all backyard overhead lines to the electrical connection at every property currently served by overhead infrastructure. In addition, as part of FPL’s main feeder line hardening efforts, up to 15% of overhead main feeder line miles within the city could also be converted to underground.

FPL is managing the project in close coordination with the city. They will contact you before overhead to underground conversion in your neighborhood. It is essential that all property owners assist with access to any utility easements that may be required so that, when completed, the entire system is as reliable and resilient against storms and hurricanes as possible. Having a neighborhood with a mix of underground equipment and above-ground/overhead poles and wires would defeat the effectiveness of the undergrounding efforts. We need every resident to cooperate.

We are also working to determine how to convert the telecommunications and cable (primarily AT&T and Comcast) infrastructure from overhead to underground as part of the citywide project at no cost to city taxpayers.

The FPL undergrounding program is a citywide, multi-year endeavor that is transforming Coral Gables for the future. We hope you are excited about this game-changing project that will be undertaken at no project cost to city taxpayers.

For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or our Undergrounding Project Construction Updates page.

AT&T Fiber

We are pleased that AT&T is in the process of completing the installation of "AT&T Fiber" (their newest fiber optic lines and hyper-gig speeds) to offer it throughout Coral Gables. Although the city has no preference or partnership with any specific telecommunications provider and does not interfere with private sector commercial matters, Coral Gables is one of the first metropolitan areas where this infrastructure is being offered. This fiber offers the newest technology, the fastest internet speeds between 3 and 100 times faster than what customers may have now, and is more durable. AT&T states that it can convert and upgrade customers to the new technology at no additional cost or installation charges. In fact, depending on the circumstances on a customer-by-customer basis, City residents who utilize AT&T could see a reduction in their monthly bills based on their plans. AT&T has already begun offering the conversions on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis to homes within some areas of Coral Gables as the company continues its rollout.

We are proud that Coral Gables is being offered this faster, more durable, and reliable service early, speedily, and at no additional cost to our taxpayers. For more information on AT&T Fiber, please go to https://fiber.att.com/.

Thank you very much.

Your City of Coral Gables Undergrounding Project Team