TECO, Progress Energy Workers Ship Out To Lend Technical Hand

TAMPA - Hundreds of Tampa Bay area utility company employees are heading to the Gulf Coast to help restore power.

Tampa Electric Co. is sending out 75 workers today to La Place, La. Progress Energy Florida Inc. plans to send 400 employees to the region Sunday morning.

Florida power companies are used to accepting the help of out-of-state workers when hurricanes hit. Ross Bannister, spokesman for Tampa Electric, said it's time to return the favor.

``Companies can't go down to the corner and round up some people to help,'' he said. ``This is technical work and hard work, and it requires skilled workers.''

The workers who leave this weekend may not know when they're coming back, Bannister said. When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992, many companies rotated crews in and out of the damaged area for months.

No one knows for sure how long it will take to restore the power Hurricane Katrina knocked out, but because of extensive damage in three states, it will likely take even longer than with Andrew, Bannister said.

Katrina wiped out much of the infrastructure, which must be built back from the ground up.

Florida Power & Light Co. is wrapping up work after restoring power to South Florida, hit last week by Katrina's first assault.

Spokesman Bill Swank said about 4,000 utility workers from other companies assisted. The company released 500 of the workers Friday and 1,000 on Thursday, Swank said. After a brief break, some Florida Power & Light employees will head to the central Gulf Coast, he said.

``They've been working 16- hour days since last Thursday,'' Swank said. ``We'll be loading up and sending people there soon, though.''

Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.