Print-friendly version

Western helps utilities keep lights on in all weather

Heavy snow blanketing the Redding field office did not stop Western line crews from restoring power to Trinity PUD electrical customers. (Photo by Dorothy Engdahl)

With winter in the air and Florida’s hurricane woes still fresh in everyone’s memory, it is time for utilities to review emergency plans and make sure their nearest Western line crew’s phone number is handy in case they need help restoring power that storms have taken away.

Snow storm rallies northern California utilities
That Mother Nature takes no holidays was abundantly clear to Trinity Public Utilities District, a Northern California utility about 50 miles west of Redding, Calif. Only three days before New Year’s Eve 2003, a sudden, major snowstorm brought down more than 100 spans of power lines leaving 8,000 residents without power. "We were prepared for it," said Trinity PUD Superintendent Bill Keys. "It's become almost an annual event. We assembled our crews, contacted Western and went to work."

Along with Trinity PUD, Western’s Redding six-man line crew was joined by Redding Electric Utility and Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative line crews. From Dec. 29 to Jan. 5, the four crews worked 17 to 18 hours a day in conditions ranging from four feet of snow to rain and ice.

Because of Trinity County’s rugged terrain, some men were hiking mountains to get to poles. “The crews are equipped and trained for winter survival, but other than that, we just follow our safety training and use common sense,” said Sierra Nevada Line Maintenance Director Ross McFate.

Communication is critical in emergency repair situations, he added. “The utility always sends one of their personnel along with the Western crew,” McFate said, “and we have their radio frequencies programmed into our radios. You have to keep talking to each other.”

By Jan. 5, the crews had restored power to TPUD customers in Trinity County. McFate noted that the repair job “was probably some kind of record,” and Western Line Crew Foreman Scott Hicks concurred. “We've helped Trinity a number of times over the years, just not for this long of a period,” he said.

Hardworking SMUD crews get relief from Western
While snow, rain and ice left Trinity County residents ringing in the New Year in the dark, high winds were causing the same problems in Sacramento. On New Year’s Day 2004, wind gusts of up to 50 mph slammed trees into powerlines and poles, leaving more than 50,000 residents without power. In nearby Elverta, 150 residents lost power when trees brought down four transmission poles.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District called on Western’s Elverta line crew to help repair damage and restore power in both communities. “Because of construction work and a long spell of bad weather, their crews had been working around the clock,” recalled Elverta Line Crew Foreman Geoff Buchholz.

SMUD crews went to Elverta to repair the poles and lines, while the Western crew spent the next 24 hours helping SMUD repair 12-kV lines at six different locations. “We were happy to help out,” said Buchholz. “Our crews work really well together.”

Quick response to tornado minimizes power loss
High winds also were the culprit, and cooperation the response, earlier in 2003, when Western crews had to repair two lines and 17 structures on the lines to keep power flowing to customers in eastern North Dakota.

The Valley City-Forman 115-kV and the Fargo-Grand Forks 115-kV transmission lines fell victim to a tornado or high winds on June 24, 2003. Western customer Minnkota Power Cooperative rerouted power to serve both its own load and Valley City residents.

The Fargo and Jamestown line crews rebuilt downed poles and hung conductors back in place. All of Western’s North Dakota line crews pitched in to rebuild the 17 H-frame structures over the next six days.
The job was completed with no injuries or equipment breakdowns, and only a 15-minute power outage. “That is a testimony to their commitment to safety and excellence,” said Jerry Paulson, a supervisory maintenance specialist in the Upper Great Plains office.

Be prepared, linemen advise
Every season brings its own hazards, and some, like a car knocking over a powerpole, can happen any time of year. The key to managing emergency repairs, line crews all agree, is preparation.

Especially at small utilities with limited resources, it is important to make sure that emergency equipment is in shape and materials are on hand, said Paulson. “There should be an inventory of spare parts, enough to deal with at least the foreseeable problems,” he advised.

An aggressive tree trimming program helps Trinity PUD preempt weather related incidents, as does patrolling its system. "We try to find and repair anything that might be a potential hazard such as damaged conductors, broken cross arms, overhanging tree branches," said Keys. "If something does happen, it helps to know where to start looking for the problem."

And when accidents happen, it helps to have skilled assistance. “Western had one of the best line crews I’ve ever worked with,” Keys said of the New Year 2004 storm. "They came with the knowledge, equipment and dedication we needed to restore power to our customers."