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Will Winter Park have all of its overhead power lines underground by 2030, as the city says?

The Roadmap Reckoner · Winter Park (Orange County), Florida: the city's electric utility, 127.5 project miles of lines · last checked 2026-10-27

Verdict	PENDING, AT RISK (the city's finance director anticipates FY 2031; its page and its 2025 state filing still say 2030)
Promiser	City of Winter Park (Winter Park Electric Utility), in its June 2022 release and on its undergrounding page
Place	Winter Park (Orange County), Florida: the city's electric utility, 127.5 project miles of lines
Promised	2030 ("The revised expected completion date for the overall undergrounding has been adjusted from 2026 to 2030", City of Winter Park release, June 2022; the city's undergrounding page still says "by 2030")
Delivered / status	Not yet due, and not finished: 109.94 of 127.5 project miles done (86.1%), 17.75 left at the end of September 2026 (the city's update in its Oct. 27, 2026 advisory board packet); the Director of Finance's September 2026 report in the same packet says completion is "anticipated for FY 2031"
Last checked	2026-10-27

Verdict: PENDING, AT RISK (the 2030 date has not arrived, and the city's page and its Public Service Commission filing still name 2030 [C3, C14]. But the Director of Finance's September 2026 report, in the city's own advisory board packet, says "Once the undergrounding of power lines has been completed (anticipated for FY 2031)" [C39]. That is the city's own record naming a later year than 2030; the pace arithmetic below is mine and is context, not the reason for this status.)

In June 2022 the City of Winter Park moved the finish date for burying its overhead electric lines from 2026 to 2030: "The revised expected completion date for the overall undergrounding has been adjusted from 2026 to 2030 in response to the supply delays as well." [C1] The city's undergrounding page still says "Winter Park is one of the only cities in America that has a plan in place to underground their entire electrical system by 2030." [C3] The city's latest monthly update, for September 2026, shows 109.94 of 127.5 project miles done, 86.1%, with 17.75 miles left [C38]. The 2030 date has not arrived.

Last checked: October 27, 2026.

The promise. All overhead electric lines in the city's system underground, by 2030 [C1, C3]. The date before June 2022 was 2026, which rests on the city's own 2022 wording [C1].
Where it stands. At the end of May 2022 the city counted 72% done and 35.7 miles left [C2]. At the end of September 2026 it counted 17.75 miles left [C38]. That is 17.95 miles in 52 months, or about 4.1 miles a year (my arithmetic from C2 and C38).
What 2030 needs. From the end of September 2026, finishing by the end of calendar 2030 takes about 4.2 miles a year, and finishing by the end of September 2030 takes about 4.4 (my arithmetic from C38). At the 2022 to 2026 average the last mile would come in about January 2031; at the 5.1 miles the city counted for fiscal 2026 alone [C38] it would come in the spring of 2030 (my arithmetic from C2 and C38).
What the city says. Its filing to the Florida Public Service Commission for calendar year 2025 says the remainder "is targeted to be complete by 2030" [C14]. The advisory board's minutes of September 23, 2025 record that "the undergrounding project remains on track for completion by 2030" [C23].
A later year in the same packet. The Director of Finance's September 2026 report, in the packet for the advisory board's October 27, 2026 meeting, says "Once the undergrounding of power lines has been completed (anticipated for FY 2031), there should be opportunities for other investment of the operating revenues that have been committed to undergrounding for the past twelve years or so." [C39] It is the first city record I found that names a year after 2030, and I did not find which date the city means [C3, C14, C39]. If the fiscal year starts in October, as the city's September budget votes suggest [C24, C34], FY 2031 begins in October 2030 and could still contain a completion in late 2030 (my reading).
What "by 2030" covers. The city's mileage chart "covers primary and secondary lines, not service line connections" [C19]. A $400K item for secondary service lines was postponed "to focus on completing the remaining undergrounding work" [C23].

The promise

City of Winter Park news release, June 2022, after the Commission added residential service lines to the schedule [C1, C2]:

"At the end of May 2022, the utility has completed 72% of undergrounding while 35.7 miles of overhead lines remain." [C2]

"The revised expected completion date for the overall undergrounding has been adjusted from 2026 to 2030 in response to the supply delays as well." [C1]

The same release says of the service lines: "This plan, however, will lengthen the overall time to complete the undergrounding of all overhead lines in city." [C2]

The city's page today [C3]:

"Winter Park is one of the only cities in America that has a plan in place to underground their entire electrical system by 2030."

An American Public Power Association article, which is not the city, says "The utility's initial estimate was for the work to be done by 2026" [C36]. I found no city document from before June 2022 that names a completion year (see the last section).

Timeline

January 2008. The city's 2012 filing to the Florida Public Service Commission says "In January 2008, The City of Winter Park began an ambitious initiative to put its entire distribution system underground." [C4] Phase 1 "was funded by $14 million in bonds to fund the undergrounding of 9.3 miles of mainline feeder underground" [C4]. At the end of 2012 the city reported "our distribution system is fifty one percent (51%) underground." [C4]
2013 to 2017. The city's yearly filings report 4.96 miles in 2014 and estimates of 5.59 miles in 2015, 6.1 in 2016 and 6.5 in 2017 [C6, C7, C8, C9], with $3 million a year budgeted from the 2015 filing [C7]. The percentages in the same filings go 62% (2013), 58% (2014), 61.5% (2016) and 65.5% (2017) [C5, C6, C8, C9].
End of 2020. The filing changes the measure: "As of the end of 2020, approximately 62% of the overhead system has been converted." [C10] No pace can be read across 2012 to 2022 from these percentages: they fall from 62% to 58% between 2013 and 2014, and from 65.5% to 62% when the measure changed [C5, C6, C9, C10].
June 2022. The 2026 to 2030 change above [C1, C2].
End of 2023. The filing for calendar year 2023 is the first of the city's filings to state 2030: "The remainder of the system to be undergrounded is targeted to be complete by 2030." It also says "Over 70% is undergrounded at this time." [C12, C35]
End of 2024. "Total of 101 miles of mainline and feeders were undergrounded. As of the end of 2024, approximately 79.6% of the overhead system has been converted." [C13]
August 2025. At the utility advisory board's August 5 meeting staff said "if rates are not increased, the undergrounding target date of 2030 might be delayed." [C19] At the Commission's August 14 work session the city's staff "noted that progress on undergrounding has slowed to remain on budget and impacted the ability to underground five miles per year." [C20] The advisory board recommended a bond issue "by a 5-1 vote" [C20]. A third scenario, presented August 28, "extends undergrounding by two years to smooth costs" [C21].
September 10, 2025. The Commission raised the non-fuel electric rate by 7.44%, 3-2; the Mayor's stated aim was "to complete undergrounding by 2030 as planned" [C22].
September 2025. The advisory board's minutes of September 23 record that "the undergrounding project remains on track for completion by 2030" [C23]. The Commission adopted the FY2026 budget: "The motion carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote." [C24] The September update for FY2025 shows 104.72 of 127.5 miles done and 22.76 left [C25].
End of 2025. The filing for calendar year 2025 says the remainder "is targeted to be complete by 2030" and that the city has "approximately 600 poles remaining in the system" [C14, C15].
April 2026. The advisory board's minutes report that the "undergrounding program is approximately 84% complete overall, with just over 20 miles remaining", and that "a portion of Project K is currently paused due to ownership changes involving a local business and challenges obtaining easements" [C29].
July 2026. "A total of 108.03 of 127.5 project miles (84.74%) have been completed citywide, with 19.45 miles remaining." [C30]
August 2026. The update in the packet for the September 22 meeting: 108.98 done, 18.51 left, with a 12-month lead time listed for one cable ("Okonite 1/0 & 1000MCM 12-month lead-time") [C31]. That meeting was canceled and its packet was posted [C31, C32].
September 2026. The update in the packet for the October 27 meeting: 109.94 done, 17.75 left, 5.1 miles for fiscal 2026, and a longer lead time listed for the cable ("Okonite & Elastimold 1/0 & 1000 MCM 58-week lead-time") [C38]. On September 23 the Commission adopted the FY2027 budget, and its minutes record no undergrounding item [C34].
October 27, 2026. The Director of Finance's report in the same packet names FY 2031 [C39].

What changed and why, in the record's own words

The date, 2026 to 2030. The reason given is "in response to the supply delays as well" [C1], and the new service-line work "will lengthen the overall time" [C2].
The pace. In August 2025 staff said progress "has slowed to remain on budget" [C20].
The risk the city named. Staff said the 2030 target "might be delayed" if rates were not raised [C19].
Supply. The August 2026 update lists a 12-month cable lead time [C31] and the September update a 58-week one [C38].
Easements. Part of Project K is paused for "ownership changes involving a local business and challenges obtaining easements" [C29].

How the yearly pace compares with five miles

FY2024. 4.67 miles through August 2024, a partial year [C16].
FY2025. The city's fiscal-year total is 5.06 miles [C25], and its minutes call that figure the length "planned for fiscal year 2025" [C26]. Its "Total Miles Completed" counter rose from 100.31 [C17] to 104.72 [C25], which is 4.41 miles (my arithmetic from C17 and C25).
FY2026. 5.1 miles for the year on the fiscal-year total [C38]. The "Total Miles Completed" counter rose from 104.72 [C25] to 109.94 [C38], which is 5.22 miles (my arithmetic from C25 and C38).
The city's two counters differ in both years, and I have not reconciled them.

What it cost

Bonds and yearly budgets. Phase 1 was $14 million in bonds [C4]. A yearly budget of three million dollars appears in the 2015 filing [C7]. The advisory board's minutes of September 23, 2025 record that "The remaining budget for new funding includes $9.2M for undergrounding" [C23]. The September 2026 update shows a $9.6 million budget for 2026 with $9.4 million spent [C38].
Rates. Staff proposed a 15.7% rate adjustment [C19], then a 15% increase in the non-fuel part of the bill to cover "increased costs to complete undergrounding by 2030" [C20]. The Commission adopted 7.44% on a 3-2 vote [C22]. The finance reports of July and September 2026 call it "the 7.74% increase in non-fuel energy rates" [C40, C41]. The vote and the reports give different figures, and I did not find which is right.
These are different measures from different dates, and they do not add up to a total cost.

What to watch

Which date the city means: 2030 on its page and in its filing, or FY 2031 in the finance report [C3, C14, C39].
The October update, which should appear in the advisory board's next packet. I found no newer figure than 109.94 done and 17.75 left [C38].
The minutes of the October 27, 2026 meeting, which were not posted when I read.
Service lines. The $400K item was postponed [C23].
Project K, which is partly paused [C29].

What this entry did not check

A city document from before June 2022 that states 2026. None of the city's 11 filings to the Florida Public Service Commission for 2012 to 2022 names a completion year [C4, C10, C11]. I did not read Commission or advisory-board records from before June 2024.
The FY2027 budget book and capital plan. I read only the adoption minutes [C34].
The cost-of-service study due in September 2026, and whether the electric rate changed for FY2027.
The 2022 surcharge. The August 2025 minutes say staff would follow up on whether the rate increase was rescinded [C19]. I did not find that follow-up.
The city's two counters for FY2025 and FY2026, and the figure of 106.76 miles that stayed the same from February to March 2026 [C27, C28].
Whether the finance report's FY 2031 and the 2030 target are the same date, and whether the rate rise was 7.44% or 7.74% [C22, C39, C40, C41].
No contact with the city.

Sources

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