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Alabama Power Transmission Lines Topple Onto CVEC Distribution Lines
TALLADEGA, Ala. - At approximately 3 a.m. Thursday five Alabama Power transmission
line towers in the Childersburg area toppled over. The 230 KV (kilovolt) transmission
lines came out of Alabama Power's Wilsonville Steam Generation Plant.
While these high-voltage lines do not supply any Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative
substations (CVEC's Childersburg substation does not appear to be damaged),
they did fall on CVEC primary lines along Lakeshore Drive and McGowans Ferry
Road knocking out power to about 40 consumers. It appears protection devices
were successful in isolating that distribution system from others around it,
preventing further damage and outages.
By 10 a.m. Thursday Alabama Power crews had arrived at the site and started
work. No estimate was available on when CVEC crews could restore power to those
consumers, since CVEC crews could not begin work until Alabama Power cleared
its lines.
The extent of damage to the distribution system was also not known and could
not be determined until power could be restored.
"Coosa Valley Electric has engineered its system to limit damage caused
by situations such as this," said Frank Kujawski, CVEC general manager.
"We have taken precautionary measures, and crews are standing by in case
additional damage occurs."
Coosa Valley Electric, which serves more than 15,000 customers in Talladega,
St. Clair, Shelby, Clay, Etowah and Calhoun counties, is a Touchstone Energy7
cooperative. Nationwide, some 1,000 cooperatives provide power to rural America,
and 570 of those operate under the Touchstone Energy umbrella.
For more information, contact:
Jon Cullimore 362-4180 or 1-800-273-7210, ext. 225, Fax: 256-761-2615, Cell: 256-299-0551
Barbara Edmondson 1-800-273-7210, ext. 224
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