Until last month, the weather had been fairly cooperative for our crews to be out and keep busy. A few cold snaps here and there are no deterrents for our linemen, who know how to bundle up and wear the proper safety gear while working
in the elements.

Winter Storm Lola packed a punch in early March, mainly for our co-op friends north of us. We sent some of our line crew to provide mutual aid support for Midland Power Cooperative in Boone, where the storm knocked out power to several thousand members. At its height, the storm caused outages for 241 Guthrie County REC member-consumers. We are more than happy to assist when our fellow co-ops are in need, even when conditions are difficult.

Our crews took every advantage of mild weather days and finished building service to 42 new lots in the Wambold housing development near Stuart. Additionally, this year’s budget includes purchasing a new single-phase underground wire trailer. This is a much-needed piece of equipment that our crews will use to make building and upgrading lines more efficient.

Last fall, we broke ground and started moving dirt on our new Mockingbird substation near Hamlin. Fall temperatures were mild enough to get most of the concrete work done before winter truly set in. After taking a break for a few months, construction work at Mockingbird began again in mid-March as we installed the ground grid, a network of buried conductive materials that protect people and equipment from electric shock. Once that is complete, we will add a gravel layer and set the substation structures in place.

Since it’s Lineworker Appreciation Month, I couldn’t end this piece without a shout-out to our hardworking line crew. We have some new faces that have come on board over the last year, and they fit in well as they learn the trade from our more experienced linemen. Be sure to thank them if you see them out working!

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Josh Oltman is the line superintendent for Guthrie County REC.