South Tampa residents are expressing frustration after their gas-powered generators failed during hurricanes Helene and Milton, despite investing thousands of dollars in reliable systems. George Siegal, who bought a GENERAC generator powered by TECO Peoples Gas, said it failed to provide power when needed most. “The generator was inconsistent, cutting off when we tried to use basic appliances,” he said.
TECO Peoples Gas explained that the surge in generator use during the storms overwhelmed their system, which wasn’t designed to handle the combined demand. The company revealed it has visibility into only 12% of the generators in South Tampa, making it difficult to assess the system’s true needs.
Shawn Connell, Vice President of Residential and Commercial Business for TECO Peoples Gas, said the company is working to identify the locations and sizes of all generators in the area to plan infrastructure upgrades, such as increasing gas pressure and adding gas lines. However, a timeline for these improvements is still unclear.
At an informational session, residents suggested TECO collaborate with the City of Tampa to better track generator installations. TECO Peoples Gas said they would consider these suggestions and are urging residents to register their generators to help address the issue.
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