05-08-2024, 09:49 AM
HI all-
Monday and Tuesday's outages were not pre-emptive. If they were, Xcel would have made announcements and Lefthand would have passed them along. The Overland fire in October 2023 (behind Jamestown to Heil Ranch) was the result of a parted powerline. Xcel is working with emergency management to define better solutions, however as was rightly pointed out that will take time. There are at least 2 contracted line companies working in the area with Xcel: Hooper and Sturgeon. In the last wind event (preemptive shut down), some of the brand new lines parted, so we can't write this off to age of equipment, even the new equipment can fail.
The system as it flies is ungrounded, which means that when a tree lands on the line and is connected to the earth (not a hanging limb) it will burn through, or short fault the system or both. A limb on one line with no path to ground will not disrupt the system. That's why birds and squirrels can wander on the lines freely.
They have discussed insulating the lines, but that increases the weight aloft dramatically and can lead to further failures including pole/connector failures. One of the multiple Marshall starts was attributed to sparking from Xcel lines, along with an illegal burn and the coal seam fire vents. The Smokehouse Creek Fire (1m acres) in Texas was all Xcel, and why they are now looking to preemptively de-energize during wind events.
A word of caution regarding power lines, they should always be treated as if they are energized. there are only a few dead-end locations on the grid, so the power can feed from different directions. Just because a line isn't jumping doesn't mean it's de-energized or safe. And consumers that require 3 phase power like Glacier View Ranch or unlicensed installation of back-up generators can lead to back feed on the lines. Please call 911 whenever you find smoking, burning, sparking, or downed lines!
Also, we are tracking loss of landline service as a result of power outages. The switches have battery back up power and generator access. The additional use of internet during power outages depletes the batteries more quickly than just telephony, so Boulder County Communications, the Office of Disaster Management, and the County Fire Chiefs are working to find alternative solutions with CL/Lumen to ensure 911 remains active during power loss.
Monday and Tuesday's outages were not pre-emptive. If they were, Xcel would have made announcements and Lefthand would have passed them along. The Overland fire in October 2023 (behind Jamestown to Heil Ranch) was the result of a parted powerline. Xcel is working with emergency management to define better solutions, however as was rightly pointed out that will take time. There are at least 2 contracted line companies working in the area with Xcel: Hooper and Sturgeon. In the last wind event (preemptive shut down), some of the brand new lines parted, so we can't write this off to age of equipment, even the new equipment can fail.
The system as it flies is ungrounded, which means that when a tree lands on the line and is connected to the earth (not a hanging limb) it will burn through, or short fault the system or both. A limb on one line with no path to ground will not disrupt the system. That's why birds and squirrels can wander on the lines freely.
They have discussed insulating the lines, but that increases the weight aloft dramatically and can lead to further failures including pole/connector failures. One of the multiple Marshall starts was attributed to sparking from Xcel lines, along with an illegal burn and the coal seam fire vents. The Smokehouse Creek Fire (1m acres) in Texas was all Xcel, and why they are now looking to preemptively de-energize during wind events.
A word of caution regarding power lines, they should always be treated as if they are energized. there are only a few dead-end locations on the grid, so the power can feed from different directions. Just because a line isn't jumping doesn't mean it's de-energized or safe. And consumers that require 3 phase power like Glacier View Ranch or unlicensed installation of back-up generators can lead to back feed on the lines. Please call 911 whenever you find smoking, burning, sparking, or downed lines!
Also, we are tracking loss of landline service as a result of power outages. The switches have battery back up power and generator access. The additional use of internet during power outages depletes the batteries more quickly than just telephony, so Boulder County Communications, the Office of Disaster Management, and the County Fire Chiefs are working to find alternative solutions with CL/Lumen to ensure 911 remains active during power loss.