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Show March 2004 Energy Guide 59 Preparing households to deal with electrical service disruptions the 2003 Christmas holidays, numerous disrupDuring tions in electrical service occurred at locations across the state, including Castle Valley. Utah Power & Light had more than 500 employees working in the field trying to repair lines. Customers frequently do things during power outages that create safety problems. Utah Power & Light has developed a list of suggestions for consumers to consider when dealing with outages, particularly extended disruption affecting the temperature of residences. Do not use stoves, heaters or combustion appliances inside that are designed for use outside. Do not use natural gas stoves and ovens for space heating purposes. Exercise caution when usg stoves and ing fireplaces. Stay away from downed lines. Do not try to extract tree branches that are touching or have fallen from power lines. wood-burnin- Exercise caution when using candles and open flames for light or heat. Keep flashlights, a battery operated radio, water, food items, extra non-perishab- le blankets or clothes and a phone handy in case of a power outage. Turn on front porch lights so that electric utility field personnel can tell when power comes back on in the neighborhood. Turn off lights and appliances to reduce system demand when power initially comes back on. For extended outages, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. If there is concern about food spoilage, consider moving perishable food outside or into an unheated garage. Check on elderly or infirm neighbors and relatives who might be in need during an outage. When extended outages happen, more people are turning to generators for power needs. Consumers should practice standard safety precautions when using generators. Study the owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Generators can pose serious safety hazards when improperly used or installed. Never plug a generator into an electrical outlet. Do not connect a generator directly to the main fuse box or circuit panel of a residence. If temporary power needs to be provided for households, people should remember that generators should be connected to residential wiring systems through approved transfer switches. Approved transfer switches comply with the National Electric Code and local building codes. Compliance includes securing the necessary permits, completing specified inspections and having the devices installed by a licensed electrician. To temporarily provide power to an appliance, consumers should plug it directly into the generator. Use properly sized and grounded extension cords. Place grounded extension cords where they will not present a tripping hazard. Consumers should always properly ventilate a portable generator. Gasoline-powere- d genera- tors produce carbon monoxide and the fumes can be deadly, according to safety experts. Make sure that the total electric load on a generator won't exceed the generator's rating. Badlands equipped with portable rig to handle welding, fabrication work in field Badlands Fab & Machine is a welding Work and services in the fabricating inand fabrication shop that handles small to dustry are awarded through a competitive industrial size work. bidding process, explain the business partThe company serves the local mining ners. Future trends show growth in the fabriindustry, gas wells, oil fields, power plants and government along with meeting the cation industry due to new and expanding welding, machinery and fabricating needs mines, power plants and gas fields, conof individuals in the Castle Valley area. tinued the Carbon-Emerbusinessman. Located at 475 North on Frontage Road Badlands intends to focus a lot of the in Helper, Badlands is equipped with a porcompany's business on the new market. table rig for on locations field work and line Badlands fabrication and machine's in the energy industry is custom-fitte- d niche boring. Dalvin Bradley has been in business for for the company's diverse expertise. The company's long-terthree years. goals include Badlands specializes in fabricating and expanding its service area to encompass machining new material along with repair- the western United States and becoming a ing or rebuilding used equipment and leader in the fabricating industry, indicated Bradley. parts. Short-terobjectives center on becomAccording to the local businessman, the fabricating and machining industry has ing financially sound, reputable and relie able with highly trained employchanged significantly with the times. Starting with blacksmithing and forging, ees. Badlands Fab & Machine's mission statethe industry has advanced to computer ment is to safely render prompt, quality aided milling, cutting and machining. The fabricating and machining industry's workmanship and service to the company's customers. primary focus in the Castle Valley area cenBadlands ongoing plans include being ters around coal mining. dictate competitive and expand to better serve the Mining related activities virtually fabof and the the supply, demands trends company's customers in the local energy rication shops, according to Bradley. industry, concluded Bradley. y m m full-tim- Local residents are accustomed to seeing steam flow from the operating plant. Consumers tend to assume that flipping the switch will always turn on the lights and appliances. But power outages occur and people should be prepared to handle disruptions safely. drilling prompts Coal-be- d Questars expansion plan In 1928, Ohio Oil Company found natural gas in Wyoming and wanted to sell the fuel in northern Utah. In spite of opposition from coal and railroad interests, the Utah Public Utilities Commission ruled in favor of the project. Ohio Oil pooled resources with two other companies, obtained local franchises and started work on a pipeline. Crews completed the line to Salt Lake City by August 1929. By the early 1960s, more than 200,000 northern Utahns were using natural gas. A pipeline carrying gas from the Uinta Basin to the Wasatch Front was running within a mile of the Price city limits. In February 1966, petitions circulated asking the Price City Council to grant Mountain Fuel a franchise. A month later, the council consented. But mine operators and union workers started a petition drive for a public vote. The council agreed to conduct a referendum election and, on July 12, voters approved the franchise. By 1991, commercial pro- duction of coal-be- d methane started in earnest in Carbon County. By 2001, wells were producing more than 85 billion cubic feet a year. As a result of the development, Questar affiliates now operate two processing plants and a compressor station near Price, treating and moving gas to market through two regional pipelines. In February 2004, Questar hosted an open house to discuss expansion plans. The company wants to install about 18 miles of h pipe parallel to the existing main line, beginning near Soldier Creek mine and ending about four miles west of U.S. Highway 6. Plans also call for ad24-inc- ditional compressors at several locations, including the Oak Spring station west of Price. If all goes well, work will begin in the spring of 2005. i J I I I |