Eighty-three years ago this spring, the first Cherryland Electric Cooperative employees installed the first power poles on our system. In May of 1939, they turned the lights on for our first 60 members. Some of those original power poles are still out on our system, humbly holding up electric lines that now serve over 37,000 homes and businesses in our region.
It’s easy to take power poles for granted. But they really go through an amazing journey to get to where they are today.
Our poles start their lives as southern yellow pine seedlings in Tennessee. We like yellow pine because the knots are spread throughout the wood rather than in rings toward the top. This increases the durability of the pole and decreases breakage.
Once those seedlings are fully grown and ready for harvest, our pole supplier mills them, dries them, and frames them. Framing involves drilling holes for all those things we need to attach at the top of the pole.
Next up, they use a water-based treatment on our poles that helps prevent rot and slow aging. We use a water-based treatment, as opposed to the more common oil-based treatments, because of our proximity to water and water tables. This makes our poles a little harder to climb, but we think protecting our region’s natural resources is worth it.
At that point, the pole is ready to begin its journey to the great north. Our poles come on flatbed trucks, and one delivery can weigh as much as 45,000 lbs.!
We keep a good stock of poles in inventory at our office in Grawn. Often as many as 250 poles are here, ready and waiting to be put in service. This helps ensure we can handle our normal construction and any major storm that might come our way. On average, we install about 500 new poles throughout our territory each year. Once called to duty, our newest yellow pine poles join 37,300 pole compatriots throughout our system.
While poles are generally pretty stoic, we like to check in with them occasionally. We inspect every pole on our system on a 10-year cycle, and if they slip below 66% of their original strength, it’s time to talk about moving to the pole yard in the sky. The average lifespan of a pole is about 60 years, and they are more likely to be replaced due to a general system upgrade than due to pole failure.
And that, my friends, is the story of each power pole on our system — decades of faithful service to Cherryland members that all starts with a humble yellow pine seedling in Tennessee.
Where can I buy a discarded power pole?
Hi Jennifer, when poles are available we will generally post about it on social media. We don’t currently have any available.
Had the pole to our house replaced recently, as
The old one broke and caused a power outage. I was woke up during the night with linemen shining a bright light at the fallen pole. The light was lighting up my bedroom wall and I thought someone was looking for a car downed deer!