City approves request for electric system study

Just as your car needs a comprehensive check-up every so many miles, Lodi's electric system needs one, too.

City leaders this week approved a request for proposal to study the reliability and safety of the system, and hopefully limit the spread of power outages like those experienced earlier this summer.

Electric Utility Director George Morrow said the study will be a "top to bottom check" of the system. It will analyze everything from the city's power lines to substations and everything in between.

The Lodi City Council voted 5-0 Wednesday night to approve the request for proposal. It will cost an estimated $50,000 for engineering consultants to complete the work, according to a report prepared by Morrow. The money will come from a city substation maintenance account.

Lodi hasn't conducted a comprehensive study of its power grid since 2001. Standard practice calls for such studies every two to three years, the report noted.

In that time, the system's peak power load has "increased significantly," Morrow's report said, jumping from 120 megawatts in 2001 to 148MW in 2006.

The study should help utility staff "troubleshoot and locate probable faulted lines and equipment safely and efficiently in the shortest possible time," the report continued. "Above all, it will enhance the reliability and security of electrical operation thereby providing better electric service to the city's customers."

Recent Lodi power outages

June 25: Nearly 1,600 Lodi Electric Utility customers lost power briefly after a crow flew into the utility's power lines and control switches at the Killelea substation on East Locust Street failed to contain the resulting damage. About four hours later, 962 separate customers lost power after a city lineman bumped one power line into another.

June 20: Almost 2,000 LEU customers lost power. Faulty switches at Killelea were blamed for that outage as well.

— News-Sentinel staff

Morrow added Thursday that the study is not in response to a string of power outages from earlier this summer. Instead, Morrow said, the utility's engineers simply felt it was time to run a comprehensive study.

City Councilman Larry Hansen called the study "a good approach."

"It's proactive; it's a way to assess the equipment and capabilities and load capacity," he said.

He added that it will give the city important data in preparation for the 250MW gas turbine power plant, which should be under construction near the White Slough wastewater treatment plant by 2011.

Lodi will draw a small percentage of the plant's power, sharing the rest with members of the Northern California Power Agency.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

Giovanina wrote on Aug 8, 2008 8:51 PM:

" Convert the gas turbine to run on used cooking oil. "

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Giovanina wrote on Aug 8, 2008 8:50 PM:

" I think we need a Comprehensive Stupidity Check of all government officials. I really question their reliabilty when it comes to protecting Americans who are protected under the U.S. Constitution. "

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dogs4you wrote on Aug 8, 2008 6:09 PM:

" Mad Dog: I couldn`t agree with you more, if you read my post, were on the same page. George Morrow makes the statement, we need to look at everything, whats to look at in the first place? Not much to see on the outside of a transformer or anything for that matter. Paying out $50,000 for consultants,really, really stupid. Lets hope a big transformor that costs $100,000 keeps working and there`s money rat holded in some account to take care of a sudden outage, and there will be sudden outages. This isn`t PG&E, a company that has two of everything waiting should anything fail. "

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Mad Dog wrote on Aug 8, 2008 3:37 PM:

" Why do we always need consultants to do anything? Why have city staff if we need consultants? "

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dogs4you wrote on Aug 8, 2008 11:49 AM:

" $50,000 for consultants to preform a top to bottom check of the system? If you want to save $50,000 ask the men who work on the system everyday, they are your best source of input and information on the system. As a rule you fix something that is broke, if it ain`t broke, don`t mess with it. Only if a transformer, switch or other equipment are wear dated, then it`s time for a change out. T&C you took one mean pill to many this morning, not that I am a big Hanson fan but the CC voted 5-0 to go ahead with the check-up. As with anything, a power line, transformers can be working fine one minute and fail the next. When working overhead lines, you can spot trouble, working under ground, all bets are off. "

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beentheredonethat wrote on Aug 8, 2008 10:55 AM:

" Hansen says this is the PROACTIVE thing to do??? How could it be proactive when it is 5 YEARS PAST DUE??!!!! This article points out that the last system study was done in 2001 and they should be repeated every two or three years...correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems a far cry from PROACTIVE. "

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T&C wrote on Aug 8, 2008 9:03 AM:

" Don't you mean, Mr. Hansen, that you need to create more sources to generate electricity to power those three new developments and the new superWalmart? Isn't that one of the major holdups in getting that SuperWalmart approved? Didn't you also warn us of three more electric rate raises before 2010 to do exactly this? I watched the CCmeeting and it's in the archives. And, councilman, why are you trying to run LEUD when you're the one responsible for putting the utility in this horrible financial position and you need to let Mr. Morrow, who's more than capable of running LEUD, do his job without your interference.After your irresponsible power buy in 2005 that broke LEUD's back, now all the profits from the utility are spent building the general fund and providing you with city spending money rather than hiring and keeping the manpower in the field you need to safely operate and the upgrades that could've b een done with those funds are now long overdue. Then you're stealing $50 million to clean up the ground pollution caused by chemicals. Please let Mr. Morrow take care of LEUD,that's his job, not yours. "

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