Changes aren't always a bad thing - NE Louisiana Powerline Project

This photo is not of the line being built in NE Louisiana, this is a line we were apart of building in Albion, Mi

People that talk about things they are not fully educated one has recently become a really big pet peeve of mine. So instead of complaining why not use this as a time for inform those who are in the dark. (haha that will make sense later on!)

I came across a post this morning about people being upset about a proposed power line coming across North East Louisiana.  The complaints are great

• Ruin land, over running it with more power lines
• Ruin lively hood of farmers, disrupt irrigation, and current farming practices.

And my absolute favorite

• It wont benefit Louisiana (Seriously????) 

So lets start with the obvious that was stated in the news release, no right of way has been obtained yet. If this power line was proposed to come through my property I would use this as an opportunity to help myself. Whether they follow existing power lines or construct a new right of way, more than likely new right of way will have to be purchased. The amount will depend on the size/voltage of the line.

Ruin lively hood of farmers? Last time I checked farmers get compensated for any damaged to crops, again make the contract work for you. In the past I have seen farmers get paid for damages for 3 years. What about the part where the project spokesperson stated clearly that farming is encouraged. And the irrigation issues, really? Our guys have worked with drain tiles and irrigation on almost every job because yes transmission lines go through rural areas that usually include a lot of farm land because that the easiest where the LESS amount of disturbance will be. Seriously imagine if every transmission line was made to go through a city, impossible and impractical.

What really burned me what the comment about how Louisiana would not benefit from this. Really Louisiana couldn’t benefit from the jobs? This size job, does anyone realized how many people it will take to build a line this long? Engineers, project managers, safety crews, flagging crews, tree trimmers, utility contractor, suppliers. And guess what those guys will need food, gas, and some where to sleep.There is also the possibility of this job allowing local guys to be able to come back home for work. If the right contractor got a section of this job, there would be no doubt we would be packing up and headed home yesterday. Who’s to say that in the future, another stage of this project isn’t to connect to Louisiana. Our whole national power grid is a loop feed anyways and Louisiana tying in at some point later on isn’t a far off idea. 

I have been by Dylan’s side since day one in this trade. Do I know it all, no, but I know enough to realize these complaints are from those who are uneducated. I will be the first to say I believe that local utilities need to do a better job communicating and informing their customers. On the same hand customers need to do more to be informed rather than going off what they think is right. We see it on every job some property owner ins’t going to like something. The location of the pole on their property so they move the stake, you are just making yourself look like the bad person and causing more work for the contractor because now they have to check every pole to make sure it is in the right place. Another is people think if they don’t like the style structure the power company is using they do not have to allow it to be installed. That is absolutely false, remember that right of way contract that was signed. Please I beg, do not make the contractors job any harder. I hate when Dylan comes home and tells me a land owner pulled a gun on them because they thought they could bully their way into getting the power line built the way they wanted it. He has a lot more tolerance then I do, that said person would have gotten a free ride down to the local jail for endangering a utility worker. Not all land owners are bad, we have met some great people through Dylan’s job. We both have relationships with several land owners across several states now. 

On to my next point, let say this project goes through, which it probably will a few disgruntled land owners is not going to stop a project this large, wouldn’t everyone feel better knowing the linemen installing the line are working as safe as possible? Cramming yet another transmission line into an existing right of way isn’t always the best and clear choice. Several transmission lines in a small space feed off of each other making it a very dangerous place for linemen. Even the parts and lines that are not energized could become energized form being so close to the other lines. Now one could argue that this makes the power lines dangerous to the public, the answer is yes and no. This is why crowded corridors usually run through unpopulated areas or for a few short distance before splitting apart, but honestly most of the time lines are going to several different places thats why this isn’t very common. 

Currently the foundation work for this job is beginning so there is no stopping it now. Lets try to embrace this new change and get informed about all the benefits it will have for not only North Louisiana but all of Louisiana. We are here if you have any questions. We not only work for the power company, we work for each other, we have helped several land owners get issues resolved in the past.