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Linemen News: August 2018

Collage of towers halved

New 725-Mile Transmission Line Slated to Start in 2020

Throughout the United States, developers are constructing wind farms to generate clean, green electricity. In turn, companies are building new transmission lines to deliver the low-cost energy from the wind farms to where it is needed. 

For example, the Denver-based Anschutz Corporation plans to start building its $3 billion, 725-mile TransWest Express transmission line in 2020. This new 600 kV overhead DC line, which should be in service by 2023, would deliver 20,000 GWh/year of wind energy from Wyoming to California to nearby states, according to an article in Recharge. Read more >>

Hurricane Season Started Early But May Not Create as Many Storms

(Bloomberg) –The Atlantic hurricane season may have gotten off to an early start this year, but it’ll probably end with a whimper — at least when it comes to the total number of storms.

Twelve named storms are likely to form in 2018, fewer than last year’s 17 and below the 1981-2010 average, according to a forecast Thursday from Colorado State University. That reduces the chance of Gulf of Mexico disruptions for energy and agriculture. But the outlook is a slight increase from July’s 11 and comes as the Atlantic Basin is about to enter its most active period. Read more >>

Atlanta Considers Best Approach to 100-Percent Renewables

Government often has been the leader and the catalyst in the movement toward renewable energy. At the same time, government has faced its challenges. In 2017, the city of Atlanta joined the ranks of major American cities committed to getting all of their energy from clean power. One year later, the city is still trying to figure out how to reach that goal. Read more >>

Spotlight on the Line Trade: Dustin Curry of Pacific Gas & Electric

Today I work as a lineman for PG&E out of the Stockton yard. We maintain and construct power lines and equipment. Through the hot summer in the valley, we have been working on more emergencies as the load increases. We also have been installing more pole line extensions for farmers to install more pumps to water their crops.

My grandfather worked as a lineman for both Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District after returning from World War II. Read more >>

Michigan Utilities Look to Lower Rates through EV TOU Charging

Michigan is moving ahead of other Midwest states as its two largest utilities propose a combined $20.5 million investment in electric vehicle infrastructure. A key aspect to the three-year plans from DTE Energy and Consumers Energy is incentivizing EV drivers to charge at home during off-peak hours at night.

With preliminary data so far, the utilities say that with more customers driving EVs, program incentives could drive down rates for all customers by millions of dollars. Read more >>

Be prepared. Think Safety.