Back to Blog

OPALCO SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ON WARBASS WAY – Traffic Disruptions Expected through end of July

Posted in Construction, Newsroom

Contractors are at work replacing old power poles and upgrading the wire for greater capacity and reliability on Warbass Way in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Work is progressing well and the project is expected to complete by the end of July. Please use caution in the area and give the crews at work a wide berth.

These system improvements are part of OPALCO’s regular maintenance program and an opportunity to upgrade the capacity of the line in preparation for the future. With the ten new poles in place and larger wire size, OPALCO crews will be able to create new loop feeds and redundancy for greater reliability and faster recovery during outages. Because of the terrain and location of other utilities in the area, it’s not feasible to move these facilities underground.

Thank you for your patience and caution during this important project!

Related Posts

View all blog entries

You may also like...

Quick Fact: OPALCO General Manager / CEO Compensation

Executive compensation in the electric utility industry does not scale with community size — it scales with system risk, complexity, and fiduciary responsibility. Investor-owned utilities compensate CEOs at the highest … Read more
cost comparison graph

Quick Fact: OPALCO vs. a Typical Mainland Electric Utility

Retail Rates: Even though OPALCO’s Retail Rates are either equivalent to or less than US and WA averages, OPALCO manages our complex grid successfully and is able to keep our … Read more
online survey

Survey Results Are In!

OPALCO has been engaging the co-op membership in the realities facing the energy world. Things are changing due to climate impacts, carbon reduction legislation, and the transition to renewable energy. … Read more