Why Keep Power Lines in Harm’s Way?
High winds and icy conditions can cause tree limbs to fall on power lines, triggering outages. Although Access Energy Cooperative lineworkers are on call around the clock and respond quickly to problems, some folks ask a simple question: Why keep power lines in harm’s way?
There are two ways electricity can be delivered to a home: through overhead or underground power lines. Although underground lines may seem attractive during storms since the lines are not exposed to extreme weather, the technology doesn’t always make sense for electric cooperatives focused on affordability.
Most underground lines nationally are found in subdivisions where developers request and pay for the option for aesthetic reasons or to comply with local statutes. A high concentration of homes in these areas helps spread out the expense. But the bulk of the nation’s cooperative energy continues to be delivered via overhead lines—16 percent of the 2.5 million miles of distribution lines owned and maintained by electric co-ops across the nation are found underground. Cooperatives are not-for-profit, selecting distribution methods with two goals in mind: keeping electricity affordable and reliable for consumers.
There are pros and cons to both forms of power distribution. For instance, underground facilities are more reliable during a storm and generally require less right-of-way maintenance because there are no trees, brush, and other vegetation to clear away. However, faults in underground power lines are not easy to track down and fix. If a tree falls on a line, you can normally drive down the line, see the problem, and get to work restoring power.” Explains Don Roach, Director of Operations. “The same holds for repairing broken insulators and crossarms—if you see it, you can fix it. But underground lines are tough to troubleshoot. You can’t find a problem with your eyes – you have to search harder for it, tracking it down based on where the power flow stops. Then a line crew has to dig a hole to reach the spot before repairs can be made.”
For most cooperative consumers, affordable overhead lines will remain the norm, at least for now. To find out more about how Access Energy Cooperative is looking out for you, visit www.accessenergycoop.com.
Source: Meagan McKoy-Noe, NRECA, Hi-Line Engineering, Flint Energies, Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative