Back to Blog

OPALCO Pole Replacement for Orcas Road Re-Alignment

OPALCO is relocating a line of transmission poles along Orcas Road as part of the County’s road re-alignment project. The new poles will be strung with larger transmission wire which follows current standards and will increase efficiency and load carrying capacity.  OPALCO’s contractor crews will be in the area through mid-October. Most of the work is taking place hot (with the power on), but once the crew is ready to connect the new poles to the grid, there will be some limited power and fiber outages in the vicinity. Stay tuned for planned outage information in early October.

Contract crews are brought in for long-term projects like this one in order to maintain critical utility operations in parallel with major construction efforts.

The County road re-alignment project work will pick up again in the Spring. The project will increase the safety for the high-traffic road and ferry route – and it corrects some legacy easements locations for the County and private land owners. For information about the new road alignment and County project timeline, go to: https://www.sanjuanco.com/278/Current-Projects.

You may also like...

we want your feedback

OPALCO Launches Opt-In Renewable Energy Survey to Gather Member Input

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is inviting all members to participate in a newly launched Renewable Energy Survey designed to gather community insight on future energy programs, priorities, and … Read more
ice harbor dam

Quick Fact: Where Does OPALCO Stand on Regional Power and the Dams?

OPALCO’s mission is to provide reliable power to its membership. OPALCO’s power comes from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which utilizes hydropower, some of it from the Lower Snake River … Read more
meeting

OPALCO Board Passes 2026 Budget and Rates

The 2026 OPALCO annual budget was approved at the November 20th board meeting including changes to the rate structure and a ~6% rate increase for residential members. This works out … Read more