Co-op employees carefully monitor the capacity of the lines across the system. When an area of power lines is nearing its capacity, Sam Houston EC has two options—increase the diameter of the wires or complete a voltage conversion.
“Increasing the diameter of the wires means putting out brand-new lines, which is very costly,” said Kabe Murphy, grid manager. “Instead, in some areas, we are able to change the voltage, which costs less and is just as effective.”
The conversion to a higher voltage in an area is accompanied by a decrease in the current flowing through the lines, which, according to Murphy, helps extend the usable life span of the power lines in the area and improves the Co-op’s ability to redirect the flow of power to consumer-members during outages.