New electric circuit goes “live” in Westminster

A new, 7,200 kilovolt circuit that went “live” this week in Westminster is seen by the city as a permanent fix toward the problem of flickering and outages caused by ground faults. The accomplishment is hailed by the city as a year-long effort to alleviate a burdened circuit and split another that serves the middle and downtown sections of the city. In the next 12 months, Westminster plans the final conversion of the remaining low voltage system to a higher voltage. A possible complication is the discovery of defective poles and cross-arms that likely will have to be replaced as part of the refurbishment of system circuit #3. The announcement concludes with this statement: “Westminster, due to involvement in the 1985 purchase agreement through Piedmont Municipal Power Agency, has little discretion in what we pay for wholesale electricity. However, we can continue to make our system more reliable, stable and hardened against environmental conditions. That has become our mission.”