Every morning across our service territory, families wake up and flip on the lights, start coffee makers and take hot showers without giving much thought about where that energy comes from. But behind the scenes, it’s a bit like a symphony orchestra: Power plant operators, line crews, engineers, gas technicians and countless others are working in concert to make sure energy is produced and delivered right when you need it, day in and day out.
One vital part to how we safely and reliably deliver energy to homes and businesses the moment it’s needed is through its electric transmission system – the complex network of power lines and equipment that delivers electricity across vast distances all over the service territory. It’s like the interstate highway system for electricity – and just like our roads, it needs continuous upkeep and improvements to keep things running smoothly.
That’s why we are making significant investments in this essential part of the utilities’ energy grid, which makes up more than 4,700 miles of transmission lines. We’re upgrading aging equipment, replacing wooden poles with stronger steel ones and adding smart technology that can automatically detect and fix problems. We’re also taking a proactive approach to tree trimming, removing hazardous trees near power lines before they can cause outages. To put it another way, think of it as preventative maintenance for your car – scheduled service with your mechanic can save you big headaches (and often more expensive problems) down the road.
What does this mean for you?
- Fewer and shorter outages: Since 2017, our investments have led to a 61% decrease in the duration of outages and a 57% decrease in how often outages happen.
- Improved reliability: One investment has been the addition of smart switches that can automatically reroute power around problems, saving customers more than 3.9 million minutes of power interruptions just last year!
- Value: We’re committed to providing our customers safe, reliable, sustainable and affordable energy at costs that continue to be 27% lower than the national average. Our investments in our transmission system are just one part of that commitment. We’re also investing in natural gas generation, renewable energy, energy efficiency programs and new technologies that will help us meet energy needs for generations to come.
Want to learn more? Visit lge-ku.com/investments to see the many ways our employees are planning for our energy future.
