Fire mitigation focus of maintenance project
Disaster has struck many parts of Colorado in recent years by way of wildfire, and the San Luis Valley hasn’t been immune to the widespread epidemic. The Million Fire, Spring Creek Fire and West Fork Fire Complex burned thousands of acres of land, and while these Valley fires weren’t caused by an electric utility, they do show the importance of having a fire mitigation plan in place.
SLV REC holds wildfire prevention as a high priority and strives to be proactive in keeping mitigation plans accurate and up to date. This is evidenced by the current maintenance project occurring on Highway 160 from mile marker 183.5 to mile marker 178. The three-phase line and 34 poles from Lonesome Dove to the Lucky 7 Subdivision will be replaced with Hendrix Aerial Cable.
“Hendrix Aerial Cable Systems are anchored by a high strength messenger wire that supports the spacers and phase conductors from above. It has the mechanical and electrical strength to weather severe storms,” according to a Hendrix product website.
The covered cable can withstand impact from contact, such as a tree falling, without triggering an outage. The resiliency of the line drastically reduces the potential for a fire caused by the electric utility.
“One of the big drivers of this project is wildfire mitigation. We’re spending a great amount of effort looking at ways that we can mitigate the risk of wildfires caused by electric lines owned by San Luis Valley Rural Electric,” stated REC CEO Loren Howard.
Not only will the new line help with fire mitigation, but it will also increase reliability. With the difficult terrain in the area, wire and pole repair is more challenging. The Hendrix cable will help prevent outages and blinks on the system.
The project, which has been in the works for two years, couldn’t have happened without cooperation and significant coordination between many different entities: USFS-Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado Department of Transportation, Wolf Creek Ski Area, United Power, contractor Ward Electric and more.
Under the CDOT permit and traffic control plan, Critters Barricade will be controlling traffic as needed for traveler/worker safety, particularly when the helicopter is used. This will involve possible traffic delays along Highway 160, which will be kept as short as safely possible.
“A generator has been brought in for four to six weeks, while we switch the wires out. It is located in the ski area’s parking lot. Davey Pitcher [Wolf Creek Ski Area owner] has been very accommodating with this project. We would have had a very difficult time finding somewhere secure to place that generator and couldn’t have done this without Davey’s help,” stated REC Engineering Manager Terry Daley.
“United Power [covering the northern Front Range] let us review their projects to learn about Hendrix…co-ops are always great about helping other co-ops. This whole project has been a huge collaboration; there are many partners coordinating to keep everything running smoothly,” said Daley.
Approximately 50 REC members will be affected with intermittent electrical outages in late July and August, and all will be notified prior. The project will continue through approximately Sept. 1. Please call REC with any questions or concerns, 719-852-3538.