Investing in Vegetation Management // August 2024 CEO Column
When severe storms roll through our service territory, power outages often follow. The band of destructive storms that swept through our area on Saturday, July 13th left a lot of damage in its path. Strong winds contributed to numerous downed trees and power lines, leaving approximately 6,000 members without power.
Our hardworking lineworkers, along with contract crews called in to assist, went straight to work getting power restored to all members as quickly and safely as possible. The storms created many small outages across our system, which lengthened the restoration time. I want to express my gratitude to our members who remained patient throughout the restoration process.
I also want to thank our team of dedicated employees who put a pause on their own lives to ensure power was safely restored for our members. Whether they were out in the field making repairs, dispatching crews, or answering calls our employees went above and beyond to ensure power was restored as quickly as possible.
Vegetation Management
To minimize the impact storms like this have on our lines, Lake Region invests heavily in vegetation management. This year alone, we plan to spend approximately $2.3 million on our vegetation management plan. Spraying, mowing, and trimming are each utilized by the cooperative to keep power lines free from trees and other vegetation.
Assisting us in this ongoing effort is Carr’s Tree Service, headquartered in the City of Ottertail. As a part-owner of Carr’s Tree Service, Lake Region shares in its financial success and also has a say in determining the equipment necessary to maintain our system. I am thankful for the good relationship we have with Carr’s Tree Service and for their shared commitment to safety.
Carr’s Tree Service uses specialized equipment to efficiently clear our right-of-ways. To give our members a look at this equipment in action, we created a brief video below. In the video, you will see the Kwik-Trim used to cut individual branches and small trees with a rotating blade attached to a boom. You’ll also see the Fecon Mower used to cut and mulch brush. This modern equipment, combined with new technologies like LREC’s AiDash program, helps us be incredibly productive and efficient in our vegetation management efforts.
Local Solar Array
At a recent board meeting, Lake Region decided to move forward on a USDA New ERA funds application as part of a local solar array. This is part of the Great River Energy (GRE) consortium we are a participant in. The array would benefit the local economy and its output would be consumed by our members.
We will keep you posted as we continue to move forward with this application and await a response from the USDA. If the project is approved, construction would likely take place in 2026.
Looking Ahead
As we plan for the future, the cooperative’s wholesale power provider, Great River Energy, is anticipating another rate increase in January. While we are committed to remaining good stewards of our members’ money, there are factors like wholesale power costs and inflation that are out of our control. If GRE’s increase is approved, Lake Region will likely need to pass it through to our members. We want you to be aware of this possibility and will continue to keep you up-to-date as we hear more.
As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve all of you!
