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Utilities trustees approve $2 million to begin replacement of aged wooden distribution poles
Summary
Stillwater Utilities Authority trustees authorized a $2 million appropriation from the rate stabilization fund to begin replacing roughly 2,500 wooden distribution poles identified in a system assessment; staff estimates full replacement could cost $5M–$8.75M over time.
The Stillwater Utilities Authority on March 23 approved a $2,000,000 appropriation from the rate stabilization fund to begin replacing wooden distribution poles identified as needing replacement in a recent system assessment.
Laurence (sic) Lawrence Smith reported the Stillwater Electric System uses about 10,300 wooden distribution poles and that testing identified approximately 2,500 poles needing replacement. Staff estimated replacement costs of $2,500 to $3,500 per pole depending on the infrastructure supported; at those unit costs the total program could range from roughly $5 million to $8.75 million to replace all identified poles.
Trustees approved creating a project account to fund materials and directed staff to phase replacements over multiple years; staff said in‑house crews would perform replacements and that initial capacity is roughly 150 poles per crew per year, with the potential to scale with additional crews. The appropriation covers only a portion of the total replacement need and staff will return for additional funding as the program continues.
Trustees voted 5–0 to approve the project and budget amendment. Staff emphasized prioritization based on pole condition and what equipment each pole supports to address the most critical reliability risks first.
