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Show Garkane's Capitol Reef Upgrade Nears Completion RICHFIELD If the old adage that "good things come to those who wait" is true, then the line upgrade from Torrey to Fruita must be very good, because Garkane power Association has waited a very long time to receive the necessary permits to complete the project. Garkane's Northern System Sys-tem crew began working on the 7-mile-long upgrade in December and expect the project to be completed in the Spring, depending on the weather. A large portion of the project lies within Capitol Reef National Park. The environmental sensitivity of the project is the reason the project has taken so long according to Carl Albrecht, Garkane's Gar-kane's general manager and CEO. "Believe it or not, this project was in the planning stages 25 years ago when I came to work for Garkane," says Albrecht. "It has taken that long to work out all the details and get all of the necessary approvals to make this badly needed improvement to the electrical infrastructure infra-structure of the area." The project involves replacing poles and stringing new, larger conductor (wire) capable of carrying higher electrical voltages. In some (See GARKANE Page 7 -A) GARKANE From Page 6-A areas, the permit obtained from the National Park Service requires that the materials for the project be dropped from helicopters and that crews must access the sites on foot. "It's an expensive, time-consuming way to build a power line," says Albrecht. When the project is completed, ' Garkane customers in Hanksville, Caineville, Sandy Ranch, Notom, . and at Capitol Reef should see improved reliability and quality. The Torrey-to-Fruita line is the final segment of Garkane's line in Eastern Wayne County to be completed. |