What has 92 feet and is red all over? Dawson PPD’s newest digger derrick.
The latest addition to the District’s fleet boasts a reach of up to 92 feet, helping our lineworkers reach 70-foot-tall transmission poles with ease. Dawson PPD’s electrical grid upgrade plans include work on several transmission projects in the coming years.
Before acquiring this digger derrick, Dawson PPD rented cranes or hired contractors to complete some of these jobs. The digger derrick eliminates expensive crane rentals and provides long-term cost savings for customers. Dawson PPD anticipates savings to be realized within a year or two.
Dawson PPD’s fleet consists of 123 pieces of equipment, including 12 bucket trucks, 5 digger derricks, 16 maintenance trucks, 3 foreman trucks and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, maybe not that last part.
The District typically keeps vehicles in its fleet for 10 years, depending on the number of hours the equipment has been used. By monitoring the usage hours and considering feedback from Dawson PPD’s mechanics, the District is able to plan and budget for new vehicles on a schedule.
This planned rotation of vehicles ensures Dawson PPD has the latest, most efficient equipment while keeping costs down for our ratepayers.
OTHER NEWS
Board officers elected
The Dawson PPD Board of Directors elected its officers at the January Board Meeting. Officer positions are elected annually. PresidentPat Hecox, Gothenburg Vice PresidentDan Muhlbach, Kearney TreasurerCraig Wietjes, Riverdale OTHER NEWS
What are leased towns?
cluding the poles, wires, transformers and meters. Dawson PPD collects a lease payment as set by the town on each monthly electric bill. This appears as a line item on customers’ bills titled “village-imposed lease payment adjustment.” Then, the payment is remitted back to the community on a schedule set by community leaders.
What’s on that pole?
What's on that pole? This illustration shows the basic equipment found on electric utility poles. The equipment varies according to the location and the service they provide. Primary wires Primary wires carry 7,200 volts of electricity from a substation. That voltage...