If you’re reading this, chances are, a utility pole is helping make it happen. These tall, unassuming structures are the backbone of the electric grid, delivering power to homes and businesses across our region. Some of them have stood the test of time and mother nature — but keeping them in top shape is no small task.
HOW MANY POLES DOES IT TAKE TO POWER A COMMUNITY?
Across our system, we maintain roughly 70,000 utility poles. Regular inspections, upgrades, and replacements are part of keeping the electric grid strong. In just the last few months, we’ve replaced more than 200 poles, focusing on key remote areas where wildfire is an extreme risk, and where aged poles are in need of replacing. Every pole replacement reduces the risk of power outages, improves safety, and helps prevent wildfires—critical benefits for our rural communities.
WHY POLES NEED REPLACING
Utility poles don’t need to be replaced often, but when they do, there’s usually a good reason.
- Aging Infrastructure – Many older poles were made from slow-growth, dense wood like cedar and are extremely hardy. Modern poles, harvested from faster-growing tree species, don’t last as long but help meet the high demand across the country for replacement poles.
- Storm Damage – High winds, ice, and lightning take their toll, sometimes snapping poles in half or otherwise rendering them useless.
- Growing Demand – As new homes and businesses pop up in previously undeveloped areas, more poles are needed to extend the grid.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE HOLE IN THE GROUND
Replacing a pole might sound simple — dig a hole, pull out the old one, drop in the new. But in reality, it’s a battle against nature.
Crews face extreme conditions: blistering heat, freezing cold, high winds, mud, snow — you name it. And with more than 26,000 meters in portions of seven counties, most of our poles aren’t exactly roadside.
- A pole replacement in ex-urban Pueblo West might take half a day, depending on the conditions.
- A pole replacement in rugged, rocky mountain terrain? Crews could spend an entire day just boring the hole through solid rock!
WE LIKE IT “HOT!”
When a power line is live, we call it “hot.” Keeping the power flowing is our priority, even during pole replacements. Whenever possible, we reroute electricity through other parts of the grid. But in many cases, crews work on energized lines using specialized protective safety gear to cover up live wires and shield themselves to keep your lights on while they work. Safety is of paramount importance at San Isabel Electric, both for our employees and the members we serve.
Next time you’re watching TV or charging your phone, remember — our team of professionals at San Isabel Electric make it possible to have power, no matter where you live.
San Isabel Electric Association’s mission is to deliver on the promise of service and value.
