January 7, 2004 News Media Release

Austin Energy to use helicopter to install line on transmission structures

Motorists and residents may notice a helicopter hovering above Austin Energy transmission lines that stretch from the Oak Hill area to a substation near the Barton Creek Mall. The helicopter and the contract linemen that will work from it -- will assist in the installation of a line across a 3-mile stretch of the transmission structures that each stands about 90 feet high.

The work will begin about 1:00 pm Thursday, January 8 and will take several days to complete. Work will start at Vega Avenue and William Cannon Drive. Austin Police will assist as needed with any traffic management needs on surrounding roads as the work progresses north.

The helicopter from the Haverfield Corporation out of Pennsylvania will hover over each 90-foot tall transmission structure. A platform holding contract crews will extend from the helicopter. The crews will attach pulleys to the top of each 90-foot-tall transmission structure. The new line will be fed through the pulleys over the 3-mile course and will span 30 structures. Austin Energy crews on the ground will actually hoist the new line and pull it through the pulleys to put it in place.

The line being installed is a special fiber optic line designed for two functions: to help protect transmission lines and equipment against lightning strikes and to provide capacity for Austin Energy internal communication needs.

The line protects transmission by diverting the flow of a lightning strike to the steel structure and into the ground where it dissipates-rather than allowing it to follow other courses to equipment, that would be seriously damaged.

The line will also be part of Austin Energy's fiber optic communications system used by the Utility for telephone, computer and system data needs. This type of line is gradually replacing all static (protective) lines currently in place within the Austin Energy transmission system. Static lines do not transport voltage, but rather are simply in place to divert lightning strikes.

Using a helicopter to help place the line allows the work to be completed much faster due to terrain constraints to heavy equipment. Once the work on this line is completed on Saturday, the helicopter crew will spend Sunday performing air inspections of Austin Energy transmission lines in Bastrop and Caldwell counties for possible maintenance needs. Those lines are part of Austin Energy transmission that brings power to Austin from the South Texas Project near Houston.

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For more information, contact Ed Clark, Public Information.
Phone: (512) 322-6514
Pager: (512) 802-2000