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Consumers Energy Workers Bringing Power Back To Boca Raton

The Consumers Energy workers who made their way down to Florida from Michigan last week are currently working in the Boca Raton area as the number of those affected by power outages continues to rise. WKAR's Karel Vega reports.

UPDATE: Consumers Energy is sending an additional 130 employees and contractors today to help restore power to Georgia residents in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Crews are leaving from Jackson today to join over 220 Consumers Energy employees and contractors already in Florida’s Boca Raton area performing restoration work.

Hurricane Irma swept through Florida over the weekend and has knocked out power to an estimated 12-million throughout the state according to officials.

Brian Wheeler is a spokesman for Consumers Energy. He says the company is still weighing whether they’ll send more people down to assist.

“To offer up some perspective we have about 200 employees and contractors who are in Florida right now." Wheeler says. "We’ve heard from national experts that about 50-thousand people are making their way to Florida or are in the state already doing work.”

Wheeler says the Consumers line workers are expected to stay in the Boca Raton area for the next few days. Employees can work for up to 16 hours at a time repairing power lines.

Karel Vega served as radio news managing editor at WKAR from 2020 to 2023.
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