Revamping Power Lines in Greenville After Storm Helene
Greenville, S.C. – It’s been a month since the powerful storm Helene swept through the Upstate and parts of western North Carolina, causing chaos and leaving millions without power. As the community slowly continues to recover, a silver lining has emerged in the form of significant changes being planned by local electric cooperatives.
In South Carolina, while Duke Energy caters to a vast number of customers, the _electric cooperatives_ serve nearly double that amount. With a focus on making power lines more resilient, these cooperatives are stepping up to ensure that storm-related disruptions will become less frequent in the future.
Understanding the Landscape of Electric Cooperatives
In total, Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina comprises 19 members, with six co-ops serving the Upstate. These include:
- Broad River Electric
- York Electric
- Laurens Electric
- Newberry Electric
- Blue Ridge Electric
- Little River Electric
Collectively, these cooperatives manage an impressive 77,000 miles of power lines. To put that into perspective, if stretched out in a straight line, it would wrap around the Earth three times!(1)
Beefing Up Reliability
As Hurricane Helene made it clear how vulnerable the power grid can be, local cooperatives like Laurens Electric Cooperative are keenly aware of the need for enhanced reliability. Jim Donahoo, a spokesperson for Laurens Electric, emphasized, “_Reliability is one of the most crucial things that utilities deliver to their member customers._”
The co-ops are now focusing on identifying areas where they can bury power lines, a project that’s not as straightforward as it may seem. “_When we’re talking about burying power lines, that is the scale we’re talking about,_” said Avery Wilks, Vice President of Communications. Burying power lines is an effective way to avoid the impact of storms but requires a significant investment.
Aiming for Redundancy
In addition to the initiative to bury power lines, the cooperatives are looking to install _redundant power systems_, which means that homes and businesses will have multiple lines feeding their electricity needs. If one line goes down, another can step in to keep the power flowing. This is critical for many co-op customers, especially in rural areas where outages can really affect day-to-day life.
Investing in Infrastructure
In good news for local providers, Broad River Electric Cooperative and York Electric Cooperative have recently received a portion of the $10.8 million allocated to South Carolina companies for various improvement projects. This includes new technology aimed at locating, predicting, and preventing power issues in vulnerable communities.
Laurens Electric is also taking steps to replace older utility poles, especially those that were damaged during Helene. Donahoo shared that they are prioritizing the replacement of wooden poles with more durable steel alternatives. “_We have been doing that already, but it has been a greater focus now since the recent storm,_” he noted.
Looking Ahead
Replacing aging power poles enhances the resilience of the grid significantly. As Wilks put it, “_Power poles can be up for years, even decades, so anytime you replace an aging pole with a new one, you have made your grid more resilient._”
As Greenville and surrounding areas continue to rebuild and recover, the proactive measures being taken by local electric cooperatives provide a glimmer of hope that by investing in infrastructure and technology, they can effectively safeguard against future storms.
While Mother Nature’s whims are unpredictable, the determined efforts of these cooperatives could lead to a more steadfast power supply for all, contributing to a brighter and more reliable future for the community.
