FPL's mobile command center brings real-time power tracking to SWFL

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WINK)—When a storm knocks out power across Florida, FPL deploys mobile command centers into affected neighborhoods to restore electricity as quickly as possible.

Inside these rolling operations hubs, live monitors display rows of computers and a digital map of Florida's power grid. The system shows which homes have electricity and which are still waiting in the dark.

For homes connected to FPL, crews can check individual meters in real time with just a few clicks.

"What this tool does is we are able to directly ping our meter there," said Danielle Byrnes of Florida Power & Light. "So, we use this light bulb, click on that. We click on the location meter ping."

WINK News put the technology to the test by checking the power status at the station's own studio in Gateway. Byrnes demonstrated how the system works by locating the building's meter on the digital map.

"This is your building right here, you can see the transmission line goes all throughout the road there," Byrnes said. "And if we zoom in, it kind of has a line here, and that's where we could find your meter."

Restoring power after a major hurricane requires thousands of workers. During Hurricane Ian, FPL coordinated with contractors from across the country to restore power.

"With Hurricane Ian, we were working with thousands of contractors," Byrnes said. "It's not just, you know, FPL crews, but we are working with brave men and women all across the country."

After a storm passes, the mission remains straightforward.

"We are definitely boots on the ground, working until every single last customer has their lights back," Byrnes said.

The mobile command center in West Palm Beach is FPL's newest, but the utility maintains command centers across Florida, including in Southwest Florida, ready to respond when the next storm hits.