Submitted by Orcas Power and Light Cooperative.

Contractors are at work replacing old power poles and upgrading the wire for greater capacity and reliability on Warbass Way in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Work is progressing well and the project is expected to complete by the end of July. Please use caution in the area and give the crews at work a wide berth.

These system improvements are part of Orcas Power & Light Cooperative’s regular maintenance program and an opportunity to upgrade the capacity of the line in preparation for the future. With the ten new poles in place and larger wire size, OPALCO crews will be able to create new loop feeds and redundancy for greater reliability and faster recovery during outages. Because of the terrain and location of other utilities in the area, it’s not feasible to move these facilities underground.

Thank you for your patience and caution during this important project!

OPALCO is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937. Follow OPALCO @OrcasPower on Facebook and Twitter.