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Cuchara Valley

Reliability Improvement Project

The Cuchara/Panadero upgrade project began in May 2019 improving the overall system throughout the entire Cuchara Valley. Crews replaced an old underground line that caused numerous outages in the area that had reached the end of its usable life. The wire was replaced with new construction techniques and new technology that make the wire more reliable and longer lasting. It was completed in the summer of 2020.

Impacts:

  • improved power quality
  • reduced blinks and outages
  • get rid of temporary fixes made to keep the system going and replace them with permanent repairs.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose power during the upgrade?

Yes, member-owners will experience minor outages to safely move the electricity from the old wire to the new wire and make additional upgrades. Member-owners will be informed ahead of any anticipated outages.

I don't have power and I wasn’t notified of the plan for my upgrade.

Feel free to call our office Toll-Free at 1 (800) 279-7432 or (719) 547-2160 if you have any questions so we can help you with your needs. You can also check the outage map on our homepage for unplanned outage information.

For safety reasons, member-owners are asked to not approach the Lineworkers in the field for scheduling information and questions about the upgrades.

Why do the rebuild?

The old underground line has caused numerous outages in the area and has reached the end of its usable life. We are making the investment in YOU, our member-owners to provide you with the most reliable power as possible. The smarter, more efficient, modern materials of the new system require fewer repairs, less maintenance, fewer outages and fewer unexpected costs which helps ensure steady rates for years to come. 

When will you be in my neighborhood?

The project will begin in the Cuchara business district first.

    • Please refer to construction map online for more specific information regarding which areas will be worked on first and last.
    • Unfortunately, this far out, we are not able to give more specific times as to when we’ll be working in specific neighborhoods, but we will be posting detour information weekly on our website siea.com/CucharaValley
Will my driveway be blocked?

Driveways should only be blocked for a day.

  • If we need to dig longer, by nightfall, we’ll make sure you have driveway access.
    • There will always be walking access to properties.
    • We will always knock on the door, the day before, to give you a chance to get your vehicle out of the drive way.
    • We will leave a door hanger and try again in the morning.
What side of the street will you be digging on?

Sometimes we’ll be digging on the east, sometimes on the west, sometimes down the center.

What if you hit another utility’s line? How long will service be out?

Century Link, Sewer and water are all doing locates to help us make sure we don’t hit lines.

  • If we do hit water or sewer, we’ll make sure it’s repaired before we go home for the night.
    • Century Link will be called ASAP to repair their lines.
Are you going to leave gaping holes in the street overnight?

No, we are going to back fill holes and put barriers around the work area overnight.

  • We have also been closely working with the fire department and sheriff’s office to make sure they know where we’re working. We will backfill holes for fire and law so they always have access.
Are you going to fix the roads when you’re done?

We’re going to work with the County and fix the roads when the project is complete. The County will inspect them throughout the project to make sure they’re repaired and restored.

When will construction be over?
  • 10 weeks, weather permitting for Cuchara
  • Panadero will run into October (closer to 15 weeks) weather permitting

Detours

Updated June 3, 2020
San Isabel Electric expects minimal impacts during construction. There will be temporary detours for construction crews excavating and working in the area. There are currently, no detours in effect. If any detours are required, detour information will be posted here at least one week prior to when the detour goes into effect. Please contact us at 719-547-6120 for more information.

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