Macon Electric Cooperative is using a $1.2 million FEMA grant to harden about six miles of electric line in the Kaseyville area, upgrading the circuit from single-phase to three-phase and building an alternate feed for members now served by a storm-prone line across the Chariton River.
The co-op described the Kaseyville Line Hardening Project in an Oct. 27 post on its website. The FEMA funding, MEC said, lets it make the improvements while reducing the share of project costs that members would otherwise cover.
According to the co-op, the upgrade will create a stronger line that can better handle the electricity needed to serve the area and help prepare that part of the system for changing demand.
The new feed is meant to give crews more options when an outage occurs. The line that normally serves the area crosses the Chariton River in a stretch that is difficult to access and prone to storm damage, MEC said. If that river crossing fails, crews will in certain situations be able to bring power in from another substation, which the co-op said can mean fewer homes and businesses without power and a quicker path to restoring service. The alternate path also gives crews more flexibility when making repairs or completing maintenance, the post said.
MEC said co-op leaders recently met with Missouri state Rep. Tim Taylor to provide an update on the project and explain how the work will benefit the Kaseyville area and co-op members. The visit, the co-op said, showed how grant funding is being put to work locally. A photo posted with the update identifies MEC CEO Tim Korman with Taylor.
With grant support, the co-op said, it can finish projects like this while staying responsible with members’ dollars.