Transformer Inspections

Starting in June and continuing through the summer, crews from Karcz Utility Services will be inspecting the green underground structures (junction boxes and transformers) in the areas served by the Cylon, Boardman and Roberts substations, (highlighted in green on the map to the right).

When the crew arrives at the box, they’ll clear out any brush and vegetation surrounding the equipment. SCEC requires 12 feet of clearance in front the of the box and 4 feet away from the sides so that crews can easily access and service the equipment. If there are any permanent obstructions – such as fences, shrubs, trees or retaining walls – the member will be contacted to have them removed.

Then, using special gloves and a key, they’ll open the box to scan for hot spots or lightning damage, ensure all grounds are properly hooked up and that equipment is in good working condition.

Each cabinet is inspected on a five-year schedule. Burrowing animals and ants can make a mess in the five years between inspections, so the amount of time to inspect and clean each cabinet varies by location.

The area serviced by the Houlton substation (the area in yellow) had the green structures inspected last summer and this summer crews will be out to re-paint the box if it needs to be refreshed and replace any stickers on the front.

Pole Inspections

Also this summer, Jeff White of Utili-Tech Solutions will inspect approximately 1,930 poles supporting power lines distributing electricity from two of the circuits of the Warren and two of the circuits of the Troy substations (areas in orange on the map).

White and his crew will be driving four-wheelers in the right-of-way areas under overhead power lines to inspect the poles for defects and measure the strength of the pole.

Crew members for all SCEC contractors are in vehicles marked with “Contractor For” vehicle magnets that display the SCEC logo. Additionally, each member of the crew is provided with an “Approved Contractor” badge from SCEC, which includes their name and photo.

Email notifications will be sent out to members with service addresses in the areas of the inspections. When members provide SCEC with an email address, they automatically receive Operations Notifications via email. Contact Methods and Notification Preferences can be managed through SmartHub: Login on the web at scecnet.net or on the SmartHub app on a mobile device.

Questions or concerns regarding inspections should be directed to the Operations Team at operations@scecnet.net or 715-796-7000, Option 2, Option 2.