BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC DEDICATES STATE-OF-THE-ART POWER SYSTEM UPGRADES
$20 million project increases electric reliability to 52,000 members
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
West Jefferson, North Carolina (October 24, 2007) — Blue Ridge Electric inaugurated several state-of-the-art upgrades to its power distribution system today, capping the most technologically-advanced and largest power reliability investment made in the cooperative’s history. The upgrades significantly increase electric capacity and system reliability to 52,000 Blue Ridge Electric members throughout a five-county region in the cooperative’s mountain service area.
The $20 million modernization project included eight miles of upgraded or new high-capacity power transmission lines, a new substation in West Jefferson, and upgrades to the Beaver Creek and Horse Gap substations. The project increased the electric capacity available to serve Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, and Avery counties by 50 percent. The transmission line is located near Hwy 163, running from Hwy. 16 near the Obids community into West Jefferson.
Blue Ridge Electric President Kenneth Greene opened the ceremony by welcoming the crowd. “This dedication of our cooperative’s largest power reliability project ensures members in our mountain districts will receive the most reliable flow of electricity—now and for many years to come in the future. We’re pleased you are here today to help us recognize this milestone,” he said.
“This investment brings the next-generation of power transmission to our members and ensures reliable power well into the future for this growing region,” said Blue Ridge Electric Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson. “Cutting edge technology such as fiber optics and the latest in protective relaying devices creates two benefits for our members: increased reliability and faster power restoration if an outage does occur.”
The upgrades provide greater reliability for Blue Ridge Electric members by enhancing the cooperative’s automated communications between substations and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in Blue Ridge Electric’s corporate office dispatch center. By constantly monitoring power quality in real time, the system will inform SCADA exactly when and where outages occur and will allow linemen to be dispatched more precisely to correct problems on lines quicker than ever before.
Blue Ridge Electric worked in partnership with members who own property along the right of way to minimize project impacts and mitigate concerns. Officials visited approximately 100 residents in person to discuss the project and gather feedback. In addition, even though the higher voltage lines required a greater amount of ground clearance and higher poles, Blue Ridge Electric reduced the total number of poles in place along the route.
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned cooperative serving some 70,000 members in Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Caldwell, Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties. For more information, visit us at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
