“These (safety) actions included monitoring the health and body temperatures of employees and contractors, testing employees for COVID-19 and antibodies, making modifications to company facilities, obtaining personal protective equipment such as masks (and) gloves, placing signage on buildings and trucks to ensure social distancing, and other safety-related COVID protocols,” said Joel Baker, an attorney representing Gulf Power. Among the terms of the settlement, Gulf Power will be allowed to spread the recovery costs over three years, starting with Jan. 1, 2022, as part of its fuel costs set for the 2022 calendar year. The utility initially sought more than $20 million, but the Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers, protested.