Orange County NC Website
Commissioners and the School Board want this particular extension to go underground is what <br />would be raising the costs of implementation. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said Duke Power is asking the taxpayers to subsidize a private <br />organization in North Carolina. <br />AI Hartkapf said that Piedmont Electric has released this territory to Duke Power. This <br />may be the end of Piedmont's line and this may cause more problems with the power. They <br />are willing to go with Piedmont and Commissioner Halkiatis is right in that the circumstances <br />surrounding this are considerably less palatable than the finances surrounding this. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if it wouldn't it be better for the school system and cost <br />considerably less money if Piedmont services the southwest corner and far Duke to run <br />between the County's parcel and the school parcel. This would at least address same of the <br />aesthetic considerations. It also looks like it would be considerably shorter. <br />Dr. McFarley said that Piedmont was unwilling to extend the three-phase line just to <br />serve that pump station. It would not be economically feasible for them with the pump station <br />being the only consumer of three-phase power. They would still have to came a distance to get <br />to the pump station also. <br />Commissioner Jacobs made the point that Piedmont Electric would open up the whole <br />Economic Development District if they ran the line and if Duke Power agreed to relinquish the <br />school. 5o in some ways the argument that it is not economically feasible for Piedmont is more <br />absurd than Duke's argument, because Duke is making the argument, whether we agree with it <br />or not, that it is not getting considerably more customers but Piedmont has to knave that they will <br />get considerably more. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked what is the difference in feet if the line were finished across <br />the middle and came down. <br />Dr. McFarley said he did not know. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said coming across the middle is considerably shorter and this <br />also addresses same of the aesthetic considerations. He just wanted to know what the <br />difference would be. <br />Scott Gardner said that he does not know and he said that they would then be making <br />this a bulk feeder and it will drive the cost up. They can run some preliminary estimates for the <br />Board. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that if they are talking about running it underground along <br />the road, is that road in or not and is it a paved road. It seems that it would be best to find out if <br />DOT's information about the right-of-way is correct because this seems like it would be more <br />desirable. Dr. McFarley said that this was their first option. <br />Scott Gardner said that he is not familiar with the amount or the size of the wetlands <br />area and about their ability to set pales and maintain them given the existence of the wetlands. <br />So they would have to think about what has to be constructed to give them access and the <br />ability to get to their pales in the event they would need to replace them. <br />Dennis Whitling said if you could provide three phase power all over then that would <br />solve one issue but the other issue in terms of whose property you are on and as to whether it is <br />above ground or underground would still exist. <br />Scott Gardner said that if they could use the existing easement they might not need to <br />come in an the north side of the road. <br />Commissioner Foushee agreed with all the others, and she said she was reminded of <br />the deadlines. She said she wonders with the options that OCS have laid out, if Duke Power is <br />willing to compromise in the interest of doing the greater good, then there should be a <br />willingness to compromise and meet the deadlines and to save the taxpayers' money. She is <br />not hearing anything about a compromise from Duke Power. <br />Scott Gardner said that if they were to agree to install this underground at no charge for <br />OCS then they would have violated the utilities regulations and if they do this far them, they <br />