Empire Electric Association has contracted with Sundance PPI to perform pole inspections in Mancos and the area served by the Mancos substation. The inspections will begin on April 7, 2025, and will take approximately four weeks. EEA performs periodic inspections on all power poles in our service area to ensure poles are still sound. Power poles found to have deteriorated to the point they are not safe are marked for replacement. The severity of the deterioration dictates how fast EEA will schedule replacing the pole.
Sundance PPI employees will be driving vehicles with EEA logos to their work area. In the work area they travel on ATVs or by foot. They will wear clothing with Sundance PPI logos and carry identification cards. They are required to inspect every pole so you will see them working near roadways, in fields, and on any property EEA has power poles. Some of the testing involves taking a core sample of the pole to show the condition of the pole interior. They use a small coring device that looks similar to a chainsaw, so don't be surprised if you see a pole being tested and the contractor has a small gas powered tool he is using to take a core sample. It is all part of the normal inspection process. The core is glued back in once it has been inspected.
Please be watching for them and be cautious if you are passing them while driving. We appreciate your extra attention to safety as we do our best to keep our grid reliable. The attachment shown below is a map of the area being tested this year. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at (970) 565-4444.