New power lines being installed between Martis Creek and Northstar

Liberty Utilities will begin construction to upgrade its existing 650 electrical line on or around August 3. Prior to this date, the public may see materials staged and vegetation management activities occur in preparation for the project.
The 650 electrical line is one of the oldest lines in Liberty Utilities’ service territory, and is critical to the overall North Lake Tahoe electric reliability. Upgrading the line, which will eventually operate as part of a 120 kV loop, allows greater load transfer and switching capability and will improve Liberty’s ability to serve the North Lake Tahoe area.

The first phase of the overall project will involve the power line segment that is located between Martis Valley and the Northstar Substation that generally follows SR267. Construction will primarily consist of replacing old wooden poles with self-weathering steel poles.

Completion of this segment is scheduled for mid-October 2015. The next segment of the 650 rebuild project will consist of work from the Northstar Substation tap to Kings Beach, and will be completed in 2016.

At this time, Liberty does not anticipate any extended construction related outages. Coordinated planning with Liberty’s contractor and subcontractors will minimize any that may become necessary as well as construction noise impact. Liberty appreciates the public’s patience as we make these important upgrades to better serve their customers.