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Cities want more underground utilities after increased outages

This was originally sent out as our October 2019 Electric Industry Newsletter

I. With outages increasing, city advocates for more underground utilities.

Experiencing nine major outages that have effected more than 17,000 people since July, city officials of Shenandoah and the The Woodlands in Texas are looking for answers.

Constant outages have created a reliability problem, which affects more than the average home owner. “We cannot court a business to come here by saying, ‘You will have electricity most of the time,” said a Woodlands resident.

The mayor of Shenandoah cited a lack of underground utilities as a major cause for the increase in outages, and advocating for more utilities going underground in certain areas.

https://communityimpact.com/houston/the-woodlands/city-county/2019/10/15/entergy-community-responses-to-power-outages-rising-in-the-woodlands-shenandoah/ 

II. AGMs Provide Quick Reference

While undergrounding power lines will improve reliability, it does pose other challenges. After a natural disaster strikes, the landscape can change significantly making it difficult to orient yourself.  Missing street signs and fences, paired with downed cell towers can make it difficult to locate the ROW not to mention the cable itself.

Above ground markers can help. A durable and flexible above ground marker paired with effective surface markers will help provide approximate locations while warning potential excavators about the need to call for a locate

Electric TriView Hill
Hall of Shame

III. Hall of Shame: Marking Failures from Around the World

“Have you ever seen people so ugly that you have to get someone else to verify it?” 

– Jeff Foxworthy

Here we have another clear case of full-blown CLS (crappy looking signage).  This sign is so ugly that one of our Damage Prevention Consultants had to take a picture of it to show the rest of the office!

To cure CLS, we would prescribe a dose of Rhino UV Armor Signs once every ten years.

Side effects may include: increased visibility, enhanced durability , cost savings, and improved brand awareness.

Learn more by watching the video below, and look for our PSA about CLS in next month’s newsletter.

IV. Must Watch

We have new sign making technology, and we’re pretty excited about it. After watching this video, we think you will be too.

The Inside Scoop: News from the Rhino Office

Overheard: “I want to remove all the joy out of eating … that’s the goal.”  – Chris Thome, on his aggressive plan to trim down before winter after a very indulgent fall.

On the Road:  They say a key to happiness is having things to look forward to … and we’re pumped to be heading to Palm Spring, CA  March 24-26, 2020 for the CGA 811 Excavation Safety Conference & Expo! Learn more or register here.

You Can’t Make This Up: Damage Prevention Consultant Nick Temple consumed so much green chili while down at the New Mexico Damage Prevention Summit that he had to use a few hours of PTO to recover upon his return to Minnesota.

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