Powerline repairs facing possible delays

The location of the damaged transmission tower between Prince Rupert and Terrace is providing some problems for BC Hydro when it comes to restoring Prince Rupert to the provincial grid.

The tower which was knocked down by an avalanche on April 2 is located in an area that at the moment is considered to be a high avalanche risk. This means that the crews that are tasked to repair the tower can only work in the area when conditions permit.

BC Hydro had originally expected the repairs to take three weeks, but with the risk factor in the area dependent on the weather, it's thought that it may take a bit longer to bring Rupert back on line. Until then, we continue to operate under power from two generators in the Prince Rupert area, with local residents asked to conserve their energy as much as possible.

The Daily News had details on the ongoing repairs and the causes of a Thursday afternoon power outage that blacked out the East side and Westview areas of the city.

Hydro outage
The Daily News
Friday, April 13, 2007


Wind knocked a tree down across some power lines around 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, resulting in a power outage to some 3,000 homes and businesses.

B.C. Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said power was out in parts of Prince Rupert as well as Port Simpson, Metlakatla and Dodge Cove.

“It was caused by that windy weather knocking a tree down on power lines,” said Gammer.
Power was restored in two phases, with the latest customers being brought back on line around 6 p.m.

In addition, the unstable snowpack could push repairs to the highway transmission line back a ways.

On April 2, a mid-to-large sized avalanche knocked out a sizable transmission tower (designed to withstand such occurrences) in a remote area.

The North Coast is currently being powered by two natural gas generators.

B.C. Hydro had originally estimated a minimum of three weeks would be needed to repair the tower and they are sticking to that estimate.

“It depends on the weather,” said Gammer, “whether it is safe for crews to get in and stay in.”
Warmer temperatures can make the snow pack in the region unstable.

“The line is in an avalanche zone. We have to make sure everybody is safe,” he said.

An avalanche near Stewart caused a tragedy two weeks ago when it killed two heliskiers and injured three others. That avalanche took place the same day as the one that took out the hydro tower.