Lawrenceburg Utility System
Lawrenceburg, TN
Overview: By replacing a decades-old substation, transformers, conductors, and other gear, this rural utility will double the voltage of a feeder circuit to reduce line losses, avoid prolonged and potentially catastrophic outages, and reduce O&M costs.
Who: Lawrenceburg Utility Services (LUS) is the municipal utility that provides gas, water, wastewater, and electricity in Lawrence County, TN, serving 23,338 electric meters.
The Need: Due to financial obstacles, a 1990s-era upgrade of distribution capacity from 7.2 kV to 14.4 kV on an LUS feeder was only partially implemented, with step-down substations deployed to keep segments of the grid operating at 7.2 kV. Thirty years later, this legacy prevents the utility from reaping the benefits of reduced line losses associated with higher voltages. Additionally, aging hardware such as a nearly 50-year-old substation transformer, brittle copper conductors and old insulators need to be replaced to reduce ongoing and costly repairs.
Action: By replacing a decades-old substation, transformers, conductors, and other gear, this rural utility will double the voltage of a feeder circuit to reduce line losses, avoid prolonged and potentially catastrophic outages, and reduce O&M costs.
Impacts: If funded, LUS will retire its Gibbs step-down substation and upgrade or replace transformers, lines, poles, framing assemblies and other equipment to facilitate the transition of the entire circuit to 14.4 kV voltage.
The project will significantly reduce the risks of costly, long-lasting outages. Increasing voltage will lower energy costs by reducing line losses. Higher voltage will also lessen the need for trouble calls—which cost LUS between $1,089 and $1,333—resulting from customers experiencing blinks, fluctuations and other consequences of low voltage.
