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Overhead Distribution


Pole Line Hardware


Roping Electrical Equipment

How synthetic ropes show results for heavy lifts BY BILL PUTNAM, Yale Cordage Years ago in Oklahoma, an investigation ensued after a pole-mounted transformer dropped thirty feet off a wire winch line and onto the foot of a line worker during a routine maintenance operation. Initially thought to...

Conductors & Materials


Aging Cable Infrastructure

The 2014 Annual Energy Outlook Report compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that total electricity demand will grow by 29 percent (0.9 percent per year) by 2040. While growth has slowed in every decade since the 1950s, due in part to efficiency gains in appliance...

Wire and Cable


Cable Testing Comes of Age - One Cycle at a Time

Field Testing of MV and HV cables has come a long way in recent decades. Gone are the days of old, when the traditional DC (Direct Voltage/Current) hipot was the recommended method for testing these modern cables that form the critical backbone of the distribution electrical power network....

Disaster & Recovery


Climate Crisis Threatens Canada’s Ice Roads for Indigenous Communities

The warming climate is rapidly transforming the landscape of northern Canada, particularly for Indigenous communities who rely on ice roads for critical supplies. These roads, made from snow and ice, are the only accessible routes during winter months, connecting remote First Nations to the outside...

Vegetation Management


Vegetation Management Best Practices

Reduce common risks and maintain system reliability BY SARA SANKOWICH, Unitil Corporation Most North American electric utilities understand that vegetation management is a key factor in maintaining system reliability. While many utilities have designed and implemented vegetation management programs...

Overhead T&D

Utility Pole Showdown: Wood vs. Steel

A recent study that takes an in-depth look at the environmental performance of wood and steel utility poles challenges current perceptions on the sustainability advantages of wood poles when compared with steel poles.

The detailed study, titled “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Southern Yellow Pine Wood and North American Galvanized Steel Utility Distribution Poles”, compares the use of galvanized steel and treated wood utility poles over a 40-year time frame. It includes...

Overhead T&D Articles