NYSEG AND RG&E BEGIN INSPECTING 35,000 WOODEN TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION POLES

Work Is Part of Continuing Effort to Provide Safe, Reliable Service

 

Rochester, NY – NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of Iberdrola USA, are inspecting the first of 35,000 wooden transmission and distribution poles for decay and other damage. The work is beginning in NYSEG’s Oneonta Division. Between now and October, work will also be completed in NYSEG’s Brewster Division and in the Rochester region.

“Our goal is to head off potential problems that could lead to power interruptions,” said Mark S. Lynch, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E. “Along with increased investment in our system and stepped up line clearance work, we are leaving nothing to chance when it comes to the service our customers expect and deserve.”

In addition to identifying poles in need of repair or replacement, NYSEG and RG&E’s contractor Osmose will be treating some poles to increase their longevity. The preservatives used are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and will be applied under the supervision of licensed applicators. Any poles infested with carpenter ants also may be treated with an approved insecticide.

“Decaying or insect-damaged poles that are treated last considerably longer than untreated poles,” Lynch said. “And since it costs between 50 and 100 times less to treat a pole than to replace it, this work helps us control energy costs in the long run.”

Note: Transmission poles are part of the backbone of the electricity delivery system – the high-voltage power lines and substations that bring electricity to the local distribution system. Distribution poles are generally those along streets and roads that carry the power lines that bring electricity to homes and businesses.