32 that powers a submersible pump 34 disposed downstream e g above motor 32 as with pumping system 22 power may be provided by a plurality of motors 32 such as the tandem motors 32 illustrated also one two or three connected motors 32 can be used to run one two or three connected pumps 34 a motor protector 36 is deployed between motors 32 and pump 34 in some applications the systems can be run with a gas handler compressor or a gas separator if there is sufficient gas in the downhole formation upper system 22 and lower system 24 are powered independently by power cables 38 and 39 connected to drives 40 and 41 respectively e g surface drives in the embodiment illustrated the two systems are electrically independent the total power available to pumping system 10 is shared between the two electric submersible pumping systems however both electric submersible pumping systems may be powered simultaneously by a single cable 38 extending from a single drive such as drive 40 alternatively a single drive such as drive 40 can run power through a split cable extending into the well to a motor of each system in this latter configuration a switch not shown can be placed in each line after the split from drive 40 each switch may contain a motor controller that allows the electric submersible pumping systems to be started and shutdown individually thus the switches.