CoServ Keeps Life Moving with Infrastructure Upgrades
For almost 90 years, the sight of CoServ linemen means something great is about to happen.
In decades past, it meant a farmer or rancher was receiving electricity for the first time. If your power is out, it means it should be restored soon. And, in the case of Aubrey resident, Devin Crotts, it means the old single-phase power lines in front of his horse ranch will be upgraded to three-phase lines to accommodate future growth in the area.
Devin has been a CoServ Member for two decades and even though this improvement is being done to accommodate load growth elsewhere on CoServ’s system, he plans to put the increased power to work.
“I want to have 3-phase power so I can do all kinds of cool stuff,” he said.
That includes installing a large, three-phase fan and lighting in his horse barn so he can host year-round horse clinics with a trainer. In addition, he plans to add a fountain in the pond and high-power tools to his shop.
Infrastructure improvements like the one in Devin’s area are happening throughout CoServ’s service area daily to keep up with growing demand.
In Frisco, the extension of Panther Creek Parkway from the Dallas North Tollway east to Preston Road is well underway. The new six-lane divided roadway will be a critical artery to access the Fields project, a master planned community that includes the
PGA Headquarters, PGA golf course, homes, hotels and future retail – all powered by CoServ electricity.
Linemen Crew Supervisor Dustin Rucks said the project provided an on-the-job training opportunity for the apprentice linemen on his crew. The lines were de-energized, but they worked on them as if they were hot, giving the younger crew members real-life experience. The linemen put rubber covers on the lines, wore rubber sleeves and gloves, and secured the lines to the bucket trucks so they could be held up while the pole was replaced.
“This will be invaluable so they will be more confident when they have to work on lines that are energized,” Dustin said.
A few miles to the east, CoServ linemen were working on a similar upgrade on Brewer Road to power the next phase of Foree Ranch in Providence Village.
Linemen Crew Supervisor Zach Gutknecht watched the spools of wire on his end while talking on the phone to his counterpart on the other end where the rope rig was pulling the new wire through the dollies.
The crews needed to finish pulling wire for the half-mile stretch before thunderstorms arrived the following day.
Fortunately, they pulled all four phases before the weather arrived. That keeps construction moving on-time for Foree Ranch so homeowners – and future Members – can move in on time.
This is a typical day for a linemen at one of the fastest-growing co-ops in the country.
“In the early days of CoServ, then known as Denton County Electric Cooperative, a single-phase line was adequate to power a farmhouse and barn,” said Cody Coulter, CoServ’s Director of Operations. “As this land develops and power needs increase, our highly skilled linemen are upgrading these lines to three-phase lines, which will handle power needs for Members
for decades to come.”