SWFL.io - Local NewsBella Line
•6/19/2026
CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Lee County Electric Cooperative is installing giant concrete and steel transmission poles along Cape Coral Parkway to help with growth and storm resilience.
Steven McElrath knows what a hurricane can leave behind. He was left without power for 10 days after Hurricane Ian.
"It's kind of a rough feeling because you're used to such nice amenities, like, you know, hot water," McElrath said.
Allen Wagner with Lee County Electric Cooperative said they're putting 60 large transmission poles throughout Cape Coral this summer to bring more power to their members and make them more resilient before the next storm hits.
"We're upgrading our structures - bigger, taller, stronger structures - and the conductor. This is going to equal, you know, better storm resiliency," Wagner said.
LCEC tells Line some of the new poles go 40 to even 45 feet into the ground and they can withstand 150 mile per hour winds.
Wagner said the poles will allow them to reroute power quickly if they need to. If one side of the street goes down, they can reroute power to get them back up.
LCEC said storm resiliency projects like this aren't something they just focus on in the summer. Shannon Williamson with Lee County Electric Cooperative said the cooperative prepares year-round.
"LCEC prepares year round, and we also expect our members to prepare year round as well. Storm can come at any time. LCEC is always preparing and always watching, but we would really encourage our members to do the same," Williamson said.
McElrath, having gone through Ian, welcomes this project.
"The power lines, I'm all for that, you know, for improving that, and they have made it fairly simple to get in and out of here," McElrath said.
LCEC said Cape Coral citizens shouldn't worry about any disruptions while they continue this project. They expect to be finished with these poles in south Cape Coral by the end of this month and will start on the west side of the city in July.