6.1g ERMUSR 08-10-2021______________________________________________________________________________
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UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
ERMU Commission
FROM:
Thomas Geiser – Operations Director
MEETING DATE:
August 10, 2021
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
6.1g
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
• Staff continues to meet with T2 Utility Engineers, WSB Engineering, and MnDOT for the
upcoming Highway 169 Redefine project. Permits have been approved and we are in full
construction mode on the electric side of things. Staff is also working with Great River
Energy as they have nine poles on their property with three phase overhead lines
attached that need to be move or replaced.
• On County Road 13, all poles and wire have been moved and all customers have been
transferred over to the new service line. We are still waiting for Zayo Group to transfer
their fiber infrastructure to the new poles so we can remove the old ones.
• Working with the owners of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) processing plant and Great
River Energy (GRE) to make the transition from GRE’s 69-kilovolt transmission line to
ERMU’s distribution grid. Staff has begun installation of the necessary underground
infrastructure for the transition which is planned for September 20. The two substation
transformers formerly used at the plant have been delivered to the RDF site. We are still
working through details on bringing a new 480-volt service to this site also.
• On July 29, Feeder 41, which feeds the Target data center, was dug into by the
excavator prepping the temporary parking lot for the Field Services Building Expansion
project. Power was restored quickly, and everything was back to normal the same day.
• Eight of the twenty single phase fuse pads we ordered from a vendor last year are failing
after installation or not working at all. After a virtual meeting with Irby Utilities and the
vendor, we learned that they are aware of the issue and have changed the process for
how fuse pads are assembled. We will have to replace the other twelve we have
installed and send them back to be examined.
• On Tuesday July 27, Grand Rapids experience a strong storm which caused six thousand
of Grand Rapids Public Utilities’ seven thousand customers to lose power. ERMU sent
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Matt Schwartz and Tanner Ellis up there where they joined eight other utilities in
restoring power. They came home the evening of Thursday, July 29.
• ERMU staff assisted the City, Downtown Elk River Business Association, and Forterra
with the installation of a sculpture on the corner of Main Street and Parrish Avenue.
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