After all we went through in 2020, I know I’m not the only one who was happy to usher in a new year. But despite the challenges we faced, the line crew at Guthrie County REC persevered to ensure our member-consumers received the electricity they needed when they needed it.
In March, when it appeared COVID-19 would affect our work processes, we immediately implemented new safety procedures for all our employees. For the line crew, this meant staggering work start times to avoid congregating in groups. Linemen were assigned to work together in the same pairs daily to try to avoid cross exposure. When out on a job, they kept their distance from each other, had plenty of hand sanitizer available and other PPE to minimize risk. We reinforced the importance of good hygiene overall and asked that anyone who felt sick to stay home.
Aside from adapting to our internal procedural changes, we also faced a challenge of delays with materials delivery. The ripple effect of COVID-19 meant lead times for receipt of new equipment were longer. Despite this, in 2020, we continued our commitment to updating our aging infrastructure to complete the rebuild of three miles of three-phase line and 17.1 miles of single-phase line. We installed 20 new overhead line services and 36 new underground services. We upgraded our Panorama and Yale substations to 69kV to better accommodate load and improve our reliability.
In August, we were proud to send four of our linemen to the Nevada area to assist with mutual aid following the derecho that knocked out power for member-consumers of our fellow electric cooperative, Consumers Energy. A special shout out to Jeremy Gruber, Brian Marso, Todd Tinken and Curt Knapp (pictured from left, above) for their outstanding efforts to help fellow co-op members get back online.
On a personal note, I want to express my gratitude for the 34 years of service our Line Crew Foreman Doug Downing provided to the cooperative. Doug retired in October and will be missed. We wish him well in his retirement!
Just like at home, our electric system requires “circuit breakers” to interrupt the flow of electricity if something lands on a power line. These are called oil circuit reclosers (OCRs), and they help protect the larger system and reduce the chance for widespread outages. In the last year, we serviced 58 OCRs and replaced 15 of them.
With an end to the global pandemic in sight, we have shifted our focus to 2021 projects. In February, we will put a new 55-foot bucket truck into service. We continuously monitor the wear and tear on our truck fleet and perform routine and preventative service and maintenance to ensure we extend the life of the trucks as long as possible. Eventually, these trucks become too costly to maintain, having reached the end of their productive life with high mileage, worn tires and exhaustive engine repairs.
For our member-consumers, we will work toward our goal of rebuilding 20 miles of line across our service territory and focus on rebuilding the Perry substation for its conversion and upgrade to 69kV.
Thank you to all our member-consumers for entrusting us with your electric service. We appreciate your patience when the power goes out, and we look forward to providing you with the best service possible in 2021.
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