Consider this: from 2016 to 2020, the average ECE member experienced one hour and forty minutes without electricity per year, which includes planned outages for maintenance, outages from our wholesale provider, storms, and other unplanned incidents. That reliability of 99.98% required years of careful consideration and planning.
Technology continues to change our everyday lives, and the software that is available for engineering and design has greatly improved. We can analyze voltage and electrical load during energy peaks, and we can forecast electrical load to determine where the distribution system needs to be enhanced and rebuilt. We also look for ways to improve reliability by reviewing outage records and patterns. As problem areas are analyzed, we consider options to modify the design of our system while ensuring safety.
Dependable electricity does not happen by accident—it takes a solid work plan. We utilize long-term planning to maintain a “big picture” view and select the most appropriate projects for a given year.
Each year, our employees carry out a $10 to $15 million work plan to continually enhance the performance and reliability of our distribution system. We identify deteriorated equipment like poles and wires that have served their useful life. For example, we have approximately 610 miles of old overhead conductor; the current work plan will aim to replace 135 miles of that line.
We have a long history of making wise investments in our distribution system, thereby creating a strong grid. As a significant component of our annual workload, ECE’s work plan is designed to reflect our commitment to serving members safe and reliable electricity.
At your service we remain,
Justin