CO - OP LIVI NG


Electric Co-op Poles Remain the Key to Safe, Reliable, Aff ordable Power By Megan McKoy-Noe, CCC


he path of power to your home is guard- ed by silent senti- nels—utility polesthat are under constant attack by Mother Nature and, some- times, by people.


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“102,000 miles of distri- bution line, supported by utility poles, keeps power fl owing across Oklahoma,” explains Chris Meyers, CEO of the Oklahoma Associa- tion of Electric Coopera- tives (OAEC).


Nationwide, electric co- operatives own and main- tain 2.5 million miles of line stretching across three-quarters of the U.S. landmass. Some lines are buried, but more than 2 mil- lion miles of lines are above ground. Since there are generally 18 wood poles for every mile of distribution line, electric co-ops rely on more than 37 million poles to safely and reliably deliver affordable power to your home.


Pole Patterns


Utility poles take several forms: concrete, steel, duc- tile iron, composite fiber- glass, and—overwhelming- ly—wood. Why do utilities prefer treated timber? Tried-and-true wood poles are more afford- able—steel and composite fiberglass poles often cost at least twice as much, al- though these alternatives claim a longer lifespan (most have not been in ser- vice long enough to verify the claims). Combined with a proven service life that can


span several decades, treat- ed wood poles provide the most affordable choice for most cooperatives.


“Generally, utilities turn to alternative poles when nothing else will work,” explains Meyers. “If you’ve got a woodpecker problem, wood simply won’t cut it. Utilities in storm-saturated parts of the country may turn to underground lines, but more often than not these utilities opt to ‘harden’ their lines by installing larg- er wood poles and shorten- ing the span between poles to help the system weather storms more successfully.” For utilities battling copper crime, ductile iron poles offer an interesting option—they eliminate the need for copper grounding wires running up the side of a pole. But these poles aren’t as easy to climb in a pinch, and could pose a problem if not easily accessible by bucket truck.


“Co-ops expect poles are going to last at least 40 years in the fi eld, barring unpre- ventable storm damage and other accidents,” stresses Jim Carter, executive vice president for Wood Quality Control, Inc. (WQC), a sub- sidiary of the National Ru- ral Electric Cooperative As- sociation. WQC estimates cooperatives are responsible for between a quarter to a third of the nation’s annual wood pole production. Each year, electric co-ops spend roughly $300 million to purchase close to 1 mil- lion wood poles and 2 mil-


lion crossarms—amounting to a whopping 20 percent to 33 percent of a co-op’s annual materials budget. WQC, created in 1982, works closely with both manufacturers and co-ops to monitor pole construc- tion conditions and make sure co-ops invest in high- quality poles that meet strict federal Rural Utilities Service (RUS) standards.


Double Duty


Not only do poles sup- port the nation’s power system; telecommunication companies often rent space on poles to attach telephone and cable wires.


Each pole, averaging a height of 40 feet, breaks down into three zones. The supply space, which shut- tles electricity from genera- tion plants and substations to homes and businesses, can be found at the top of every pole. In most cases, a crossarm—a beam fixed horizontally across the top of the pole—divides the sup- ply space from the middle neutral space, called a safe zone. The safe zone forms a barrier between lines carry- ing high-voltage electricity and the area rented to other utilities, known as the com- munications space.


Hazardous Mission Affordable wood poles stand the test of time—each pole’s lifespan ranges from 30 to 50 years, and in the right conditions, a wood pole can last much longer.


Continued on page 10 Photo couresty Karen Kaley/Cotton Electric Co-op 6 OKLAHOMA LIVING


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