KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

More documents

Recommendations

Info

36 KIUC CURRENTS By Anne Barnes Vegetation Management Minimizing Service Interruptions Trees can be a power line’s worst enemy. Strong winds and storms can topple trees or shatter branches, pulling down power lines and causing outages. Sometimes, even heavily damaged lines remain energized and can electrify trees and nearby objects. Stray voltage and arcs are capable of serious injury, or death, to personnel who come into contact with or possibly even close to such events. Last year, nearly 20 percent of KIUC’s outages were due to trees on lines. That is why KIUC maintains an aggressive vegetation management program using four fulltime contract crews to control the treeline contact problem. KIUC’s rightofway vegetation management program is designed to minimize service interruptions from overgrown or fallen trees along rights of way for transmission and distribution circuits. Each year, every foot of every line—more than 1,165 miles of overhead line—is inspected to identify distribution and transmission problems, including hazardous vegetation. Trees encroaching on power lines—or that are likely to do so within a year—require trimming. How much to trim is prescribed by a utility forester based on tree growth rate and structure, limb configurations, wind sway and line sag. The species, environmental factors, irrigation and proximity of the tree to the line are considered. A margin of safety is added above minimum clearance requirements. After these determinations are made, KIUC implements a planned and consistent trimming cycle to ensure dollars are well spent and power lines stay clear. Fastergrowing areas require greater clearances at the time of trim to reduce stress to the tree and and costs associated with the trimming.
State law requires KIUC to maintain all lines, keeping them safe and hazardfree. If KIUC’s inspection staff or contractor determines that some trimming must be done within an easement on private property, no prior notification is required. Utility easements and rights of way often are conveyed in the deed to a property. As a condition of electric service to your home, you also must provide the utility with reasonable access to your property for maintenance at all times. KIUC does not trim service drops on private property, so this responsibility remains with the property owner. A qualified trimmer should be contacted for such work. Always take extreme caution when working near overhead power lines, as any electrical contact could result in serious injury. KIUC highly recommends that all members survey areas carefully prior to planting trees to be sure they will not cause problems as they mature and grow high enough to reach overhead power lines. Know Your Utility Lines ■ KIUC trims trees surrounding transmission and distribution lines. ■ We do not trim trees to maintain service drops. Distribution Service Drop Telephone and Cable lines Transmission Transformer Street Light Why KIUC Trims Trees Trees growing near power lines can be dangerous… ■ KIUC trims trees to keep communities safe. ■ Trees are maintained at a safe distance from power lines to prevent people from climbing or working where they might be injured by coming in contact with highvoltage wires. ■ KIUC trims trees to prevent fires. ■ Tree trimming reduces the possibility that a tree may come in contact with highvoltage power lines, resulting in sparks that could start fires. The coop also maintains the vegetation around its buildings and equipment. ■ KIUC trims trees to prevent power outages. Trees and branches falling into power lines contribute to a number of power outages. Keeping limbs clear of power lines helps reduce the number of outages. OCTOBER 2011 37
Page 1 and 2: 3-Time Award-Winning KIUC Linemen A
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents How Come My Compu
Page 5 and 6: For this issue of “A Pictures Wor
Page 7 and 8: Food Mart, Kapa‘a Shell, Lawai Me
Page 9 and 10: APPLIANCE ESTIMATED ENERGY USE ESTI
Page 11 and 12: The data from new digital meters he
Page 13 and 14: Will I lose electrical service duri
Page 15 and 16: 38201829 ||||||||||||| |||||| |||||
Page 17 and 18: Connect With Care. ■ When in doub
Page 19 and 20: Facebook: A network of personal and
Page 21 and 22: Walk on sidewalks, not in the stree
Page 23 and 24: By Anne Barnes KIUC IN THE COMMUNIT
Page 25 and 26: The Qualifying Member Appliance Rep
Page 27 and 28: By Shelley Paik What the Well-Dress
Page 29 and 30: Photo by Maile Moriguchi We all wan
Page 31 and 32: Photos courtesy of NRECA and Cooper
Page 33 and 34: To perform their mission, electric
Page 35: Marie Morin embraced her new job as
Page 39 and 40: Short Ribs 3 pounds short ribs Salt
Page 41 and 42: Recovery Act (ARRA) for smart grid
Page 43 and 44: Directors are the connection betwee
Page 45 and 46: Board Actions for July and August 2
Page 47 and 48: Call it Cost-effective Economical P
Page 49 and 50: showing “ON” and “OFF” posi
Page 51 and 52: On July 29, 2011, David Bissell, pr
Page 53 and 54: Where Your Electric Dollar Goes Mos
Page 55 and 56: Request for Patronage Capital Refun
Page 57 and 58: MILLIKEN, STEPHEN P MINDORO, BEBINC
Page 59 and 60: MONIZ, JOHN MONTEMAYOR, J G MOORE,
Page 61 and 62: LEWIS, SAMANTHA LIN, GUANG LOMONGO,
Page 63 and 64: FULTON JR, RONALD FUNG, DEBRA A GAB
Page 65 and 66: WALCZUK, ANTHONY J WALKER, GEORGE W
Page 67 and 68: KINOSHITA, MICHIE KISHI, TATSU KITC
Page 69 and 70: CALHOUN, SAMUEL CALLAHAN, SABRINA C
Page 71 and 72: Simple Pleasures “Everybody chase

KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?