Construction is set to begin early this month on upgrades to Rocky Mountain Power’s transmission lines in the Glenrock area. Work is expected to conclude by the end of September.

“Letters were sent this week to more than 1,700 customers in the area to inform them about the work and address the issues of any potential planned outages associated with this project,” said Leslie Blythe, Rocky Mountain Power customer and community manager. “Completion of this work will increase the reliability of the electric transmission system to meet our customers’ electricity needs now and in the future.”

Activities that will take place during the project include pole replacements, replacement of electrical equipment such as insulators and jumper wire located on lines, and additional routine maintenance work on the existing transmission system.

Blythe explained that some of these changes can be completed without the need to de-energize the electrical lines, while other installations may require a planned power outage. Planned interruptions of electric service allow time for Rocky Mountain Power to notify customers in advance so they can make preparations for the outage. Depending on the complexity of the work to be done at the time, these interruptions can take as long as several hours to complete.

“Notification of a planned interruption will be made in one of two ways,” Blythe said. “For outages involving a large number of our customers, a notice will be mailed to the address listed for each customer’s electric meter. For small-scale planned interruptions, a door hanger notice will be left onsite. In each case, the notification is designed to explain the date, time and expected duration of the outage.”

Rocky Mountain Power encourages all customers to prepare in advance for any type of power outage, whether planned or unexpected due to severe weather or other causes.

“It’s always a good idea to have a preparedness kit on hand,” Blythe said.

Some of the items recommended on Rocky Mountain Power’s website include: flashlights and extra batteries, a battery-operated radio and clock, non-perishable foods, a manual can opener, bottled water and blankets.

 

 

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