new power lines to increase reliability

By Brooke Stevenson

    Although some residents may believe the new utility poles on Porterfield Gap may be unsightly, the Knoxville Utility Board says they will provide more reliability now and in the future.
    The larger utility poles were installed on Porterfield Gap because KUB’s transmission line that carries 69 kilovolts to and from the substation located on the road was upgraded.
    Currently, similar poles are now being constructed on Union Valley Road for the same reason.
The transmission lines from the Seymour substation on Poterfield Gap will run down East Union Valley Rd and will connect to the Kodak Russell substation located on Kodak Rd.
Transmission lines connect from substation to substation and to the distribution lines come out of the substation and then provide power directly to homes and businesses at 13 kilovolts.
The transmission lines needed to be replaced and bigger poled needed to be constructed because the original transmission lines in the area were built in the late 1960s and needed to be renovated to provide better reliability to KUB’s customers in the Seymour area, said KUB spokesperson Grace Whiteside.
The new cement poles are substantially taller than the older wood utility poles that people in the area are used to.
“The newer poles have a larger life span versus the traditional wood poles and require less maintenance,” Whiteside said. “The increase height is due to the increased size and the number of wires and the required safety clearances by the National Electric Safety Code.”
Capacity doubled with the upgraded lines and reliability will increase with both the Porterfield Gap and E. Union Valley projects.
“We are increasing reliability for our customers and we are always proactive to serve our community’s growth and the Seymour area is growing,” Whiteside said. “The lines are to serve the current need and the future need of the expanding Seymour area.”
The the leading cause of power outages in the Seymour area, as well as the rest of KUB’s service territory, is vegetation, birds, squirrels and other animals coming in contact with the power lines. The new poles and lines are designed to further increase the capacity of the system, improve reliability, and provide more flexibility in the operation of our electric system.
When asked if these lines could be placed under the ground to eliminate the need for such large utility poles Whiteside said, “The reason we didn't go for that is because it was cost prohibitive.”
To put the transmission lines under the ground is even more expensive than putting distribution lines under the ground so, according to Whiteside, the idea was explored, but was found not to be practical.
“It is very expensive to burry 69 kilovolt lines underground,” she said. “It would be a very difficult and very costly production project.”    
These large poles were put on the existing route where the preexisting poles were because it was more efficient and it was the shortest route between the Seymour and Kodak Russell substations.
“It was most efficient to place the poles in their current location because it was the shortest route and it followed the existing route,” said Whiteside. “It also avoided building a pole line in a location where none currently existed.”
In addition to the Poterfield Gap and East Union Valley projects, in late spring 2010 KUB will begin upgrading the existing transmission lines connecting from the Seymour substation to the Shooks Gap substation that is located on 10260 Chapman Hwy.
Whiteside said she wanted to assure customers that KUB is concerned with both the acestics in the area and providing electrical reliability to customers with all of the upgrades that have and will take place.