Over the next seven years, Basin Electric is planning to build nearly $200-million worth of new transmission line throughout their system with most of the work taking place in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.
Presently, right of way work is underway on two transmission lines in western North Dakota. Normally, Basin would build the transmission lines using wood-pole structures. In a departure from that practice, Basin has decided to move to steel poles for both of these projects.
In making that decision, Basin acknowledged that the steel poles are initially more expensive to buy but that lower costs for shipping and maintenance off-set the higher cost when calculated over a 30-year period.
Basin pointed out that steel poles are about 30 times stronger than wood, and can last longer than wood if corrosion is kept in check.
Large transmission-grade wood poles are increasing greatly in cost and are sometimes hard to get. As an additional benefit, animals can not climb steel and birds don’t nest on a steel pole as often.