West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc.

Building better service

WFEC upgrades powerlines to improve efficiency and reliability

It’s kind of like having to buy a larger pair of pants after all the holiday feasting. West Florida Electric Cooperative is increasing the capacity of some of its powerlines to accommodate the load growth in portions of its service area.

In preparation for doubling the voltage on WFEC’s powerlines in Bethlehem, contract crews from MasTec, Inc. have been upgrading single-phase lines to three-phase. Meanwhile, Co-op crews have been changing out the transformers to dual voltage, re-insulating and re-working the connections on each pole.

The improvements will significantly increase the efficiency of WFEC’s power delivery in the area. Doubling the voltage will half the amperage on the lines, which cost-effectively prevents line loss, a problem for all electric utilities. Line loss occurs when the energy transmitted on a line converts to heat, thereby reducing power output.

During the upgrade process, WFEC is minimizing disruptive outages as much as possible, scheduling the work in phases. For instance, WFEC is likely to work on the section of powerline serving the Bethlehem School while the students are out of classes. The new Bethlehem School, which is larger than the older facility and uses more electricity, has contributed to the increased load on WFEC’s distribution system in the area.

WFEC is performing similar improvements in other portions of its service area, as well. For example, Co-op crews are in the process of re-insulating and converting sections of line in the Kynesville area, and have upgraded three step-down transformers from 500 to 1,000 kva in the Chipley area to improve service reliability.

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