Annual inspections protect YEC’s infrastructure.
Aging infrastructure, such as decaying utility poles, is a critical concern for YEC because it could cause service reliability to falter and create safety hazards. YEC is resolute in preserving its infrastructure and active measures are taken to do just that.
“Osmose Utilities Services, Inc., annually inspects approximately 3,000 of YEC’s 50,000 poles to identify priority poles that are rotten and need to be replaced,” says Denny Lynn, the co-op’s vice president of energy delivery. “They also look for defective poles that are decaying, split or have damaged hardware that needs maintenance. In 2011 alone, Osmose found about 85 poles that had to be replaced and others in need of routine maintenance. Most of these poles were located in the Hickory Grove/Smyrna area.”
Wood is an ideal material for utility poles. It’s a renewable resource which is resilient and extremely resistant to oxidation and corrosion. YEC’s wood poles are treated with a preservative that extends their useful life to about 50 years.