The Wake Forest Gazette asked Chris Terrell, the electric utility director, some questions this week about Wake Forest Power’s plan to convert all its lines from pole supported to underground, a project he told the town board and staff at the recent retreat was 50 percent complete.
The Gazette asked if Wake Forest Power will include the secondary lines, those connected to the house or business.
“We are only looking to convert the primary (feeder lines) underground. The secondary lines will be dealt with case by case. Examples of this can be seen on the part of White Street closest to the post office,” Terrell responded by email.
In other words, homeowners may have to bear the cost if they want their lines underground and protected. An ice storm like the one the town experienced in the 1980s or another Hurricane Fran can tear your service connection from the side of the house. On the other hand, it would be an enormous expense for Wake Forest Power to bear the cost for the several thousand homes built before regulations required underground connections.
Another question was about the downtown merchants who fear they will be without power for long stretches of time during that conversion.
Terrell wrote, “When we need to cut overhead to underground and it requires an outage we will work with the customers to set up an outage time that is most convenient for the majority.”
Do you have a question about Wake Forest Power’s conversion to underground or any other changes, send the editor an email at www.cwpelosi@aol.com and I’ll ask Chris Terrell.
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The Wake Forest Gazette asked Chris Terrell, the electric utility director, some questions this week about Wake Forest Power’s plan to convert all its lines from pole supported to underground, a project he told the town board and staff at the recent retreat was 50 percent complete.
The Gazette asked if Wake Forest Power will include the secondary lines, those connected to the house or business.
“We are only looking to convert the primary (feeder lines) underground. The secondary lines will be dealt with case by case. Examples of this can be seen on the part of White Street closest to the post office,” Terrell responded by email.
In other words, homeowners may have to bear the cost if they want their lines underground and protected. An ice storm like the one the town experienced in the 1980s or another Hurricane Fran can tear your service connection from the side of the house. On the other hand, it would be an enormous expense for Wake Forest Power to bear the cost for the several thousand homes built before regulations required underground connections.
Another question was about the downtown merchants who fear they will be without power for long stretches of time during that conversion.
Terrell wrote, “When we need to cut overhead to underground and it requires an outage we will work with the customers to set up an outage time that is most convenient for the majority.”
Do you have a question about Wake Forest Power’s conversion to underground or any other changes, send the editor an email at www.cwpelosi@aol.com and I’ll ask Chris Terrell.
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