New Substation: Part of Transmission Project to Increase Reliabilit
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Sparta, North Carolina (September 27, 2004) – A new substation being built on Hwy. 21 in Sparta is part of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation ’s long-range plan to maintain reliable electricity to its member-owners.
The Glade Valley substation is part of one of four transmission projects in Alleghany and Ashe counties being conducted in 2004 to benefit all homes and businesses in the county as well as the eastern portion of Ashe County. These projects are the latest part transmission construction necessary to ensure Blue Ridge Electric continues to deliver highly reliable power to a growing number of consumers in northwest North Carolina.
“While our electric system has served members well for many years, much of our system was built over 40 years ago when there were thousands of fewer consumers receiving electricity over our facilities,” said Joe Ward, Alleghany operations and district manager, who added that the number of consumers served by Blue Ridge Electric typically grows by two to three percent annually. “While our facilities are aging, the main driver behind the need for the transmission projects is the growth in numbers of households and commercial and industrial businesses we serve and the need to continue providing them with reliable power.”
“Our goal is to maintain the electric system so that we fulfill the power needs of our members today and to continuously plan ahead so that we’re able to meet our members’ needs in the future,” said Mike High, director of plant development, who has oversight of the transmission projects. He explained that construction of the electric plant system is planned out years in advance as consumer growth and needs are carefully monitored.
“Like our other transmission projects, our work in Alleghany County increases the voltage for this area, which is absolutely critical to maintaining highly reliable power, especially during times of extremely hot or cold weather or when demand on the system is high for other reasons."
“When the transmission projects are completed by the end of the year, they will benefit some 11,000 members and will involve 55 miles of transmission line. But the most important thing it will mean to members is that they should experience higher reliability during periods of severe weather or when other factors create higher load demands that strain the electric system,” High added.
Because the electric system is interconnected and works together to serve the entire membership, the costs of maintaining the system is spread across all the members served by the cooperative. Two years ago, Blue Ridge Electric announced a series of transmission line construction projects, completed over several years and costing roughly $40 million, which include the projects in Alleghany County. The cost of the substation is paid for in the rates of all Blue Ridge Electric members and is spread across the life of the electric
system.
What is a Substation
Substations are an important part of the electric system that supplies communities with electrical power. Substations receive power from transmission sources (via transmission lines). The power received from transmission lines is high voltage and the equipment in a substation converts it to a lower voltage that flows through distribution lines into the homes in that area. Substations are strategically located where the power needs are greatest or have the potential to increase in the years ahead. Blue Ridge Electric engineers forecasts power needs into the future. Upgrading transmission facilities, substations and distribution lines are a regular and necessary part of any electric utility as consumers and businesses served grows in number and as facilities age.
Technical Equipment Contained in a Substation
A substation houses equipment for high and low voltage protection, transformers, and voltage regulators. Each piece is controlled and protected by micro processor relays. The computerized equipment can detect problems on the power lines. When a problem is detected such as a fallen tree, the equipment helps “trip” a circuit—or shut off power to a certain section of line—as a protective measure to help prevent against dangerous situations such as downed power lines that are energized or extended outage durations.
Substations equipment is monitored by Blue Ridge Electric’s SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system through our fiber optics. The SCADA system is centralized in the dispatch and work management area located in the cooperative’s corporate office in Lenoir. Dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to monitor the SCADA.
SCADA alarms dispatchers of outages that affect circuits or other problems. SCADA also allows dispatchers to monitor the load on the power system and other technical systems that are critical to a properly functioning electric system. Dispatchers can control much of the electric plant through the SCADA system.
The contract for the substation in progress on Hwy. 21 in Sparta was signed on June 21 and ground was broken soon afterward. The substation is being built by Davis H. Elliott Company, Inc., of Lexington, Kentucky. The firm was selected for the overall project after a competitive bid process. Consideration was also made for the firm’s past history of successful work completed for Blue Ridge Electric and their emphasis on safety.
The new substation replaces the former Glade Valley substation located about a quarter of a mile away. Construction is scheduled to be finished in November. Once completed, the old substation will be completely removed and the new substation will be landscaped, including a fence as a safety measure. Because substations can be highly dangerous areas, children and others should always stay away from them to prevent injury or possible death by electrocution.
As a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative, Blue Ridge Electric’s mission is to provide at-cost, highly reliable electric service to its consumers. Blue Ridge Electric serves some 67,000 member-owners in Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, and Caldwell counties as well as portions of Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties.
