CREC continues to invest in its multi-year project to upgrade our electric system. At the end of 2024, crews finished their second year of work in the six-year, $62 million construction plan.

Our members rely on us to keep the lights on, and we’re committed to ensuring that happens. By replacing poles, revitalizing substations, and upgrading lines, we’re building a stronger, more reliable electric system that can meet the growing energy demands of our community. CREC’s improvement plan is in addition to its ongoing equipment maintenance schedule to keep things operating smoothly.

In 2024, crews completed the replacement of 500 poles, and some 20 miles of line, and continue working on substations, the heart of our electric system. These upgrades increase capacity, to accommodate the continuing commercial and residential growth in our service areas and reduce the likelihood of outages.

• Wright City – Completed adding additional circuit to resolve voltage issues.

• Lost Creek – Added additional circuit; this will help with the future growth of commercial loads that are predominant in this area.

• Hawk Point – Rebuilt double circuit with steel poles, three-phase voltage conversions, and changed transformers to resolve voltage issues.

• Cyrene – Converted to three-phase voltage to create a tie between the Hawk Point substation for redundancy.

• Meister – Replaced 20 double-circuit structures with steel poles to help alleviate woodpecker issues and increase reliability in that area. All of this work contributes to strengthening the integrity of our equipment, and CREC’s goal of continuously improving reliability. To date, all the overhead poles in CREC’s system have been inspected and photographed with a drone. This data, along with a tighter inspection schedule for both overhead lines and our underground infrastructure, helps CREC stay ahead of potential issues.

As progress continues and you see crews working in your area, please continue driving cautiously when passing our workers. CREC will continue to alert members in advance if their power will be interrupted for a short time while work is completed. If you haven’t done so in a while, please ensure your contact information with CREC is up to date so that we can reach you in the event of a planned outage. We appreciate your patience!