MLGW seeks approvals for major equipment purchases, launches drone inspection notices

Memphis Light, Gas & Water told City Council members on Oct. 7 that it plans roughly $67 million in purchases and multi‑year contracts intended to extend equipment life and boost reliability, and that it has started neighborhood drone inspections to identify infrastructure defects.

The utility described a two‑year, renewable contract (with up to three one‑year renewals) to install steel trusses around existing wooden distribution poles as an alternative to full pole replacement. The presenter said a truss costs roughly $750 compared with an estimated $7,500 to replace a pole, and that the work would extend pole life by about 20 years; MLGW said the contract would cover just under 10,000 poles. The presenter described the truss as a steel sleeve that is driven into the ground to reinforce the pole’s base, making it less likely to shear off in wind or from impact.

MLGW also described several other purchases: a one‑time $352,000 buy of fiber‑optic materials for the utility’s 65 substations, a $2.5 million contract for battery racks and chargers to serve roughly 25 substations, and a five‑year, $112 million procurement for up to 45…