Did you know the human backbone doesn’t finish growing and ossifying until the second decade of life? It also has over 100 joints and over 220 muscles. The U.S. grid as we know it was born in the 1800s, and its backbone continues to grow and expand in new ways. In this issue, we take a look at how outside line contractors are taking on that growth.
In “Rock-Solid Replacements,” Susan Bloom recounts Harlan Electric Co.’s transmission structure project for Eversource New Hampshire. Susan always teases out the unusual challenges on a job. For Harlan, it was turtles. Turn the page to find out why.
Advanced conductors—high-temperature, low-sag composite conductors—are getting a hard look as a tool for creating a cleaner, higher-capacity grid. Read “A Game-Changing Transmission Line” by Jeff Gavin on page 6.
This issue’s Behind the Scenes expert firmly believes in the importance of creating a strong safety culture. In the words of Jim Vaughn, “Luck runs out, but culture does not.” Learn more about Jim and his advice for safety professionals on page 10.
In the United States, energy consumption is highest in December and January. “It’s All Peak to Me” is about how the move to electric heating could shift total heating-energy demand. Chuck Ross explains it starting on page 12.
Gordon Feller writes that the grid is one of the most visible components of critical infrastructure. Check out The Basics on page 15 to hear about grid hardening efforts—or ossifying, if you like.
In order to prevent LINE CONTRACTOR from petrifying, we are really invested in learning about you and what you want to get out of this magazine. The easiest way to communicate with us is to take the 2024 Profile of the Electrical Contractor survey. Type in this case-sensitive link (or go to your inbox if you’ve received an email from us)
and enter your 10-digit subscriber number on the mailing label on the plastic bag the magazine came in. Then, use your fully ossified backbone to hold yourself up and tell us what you think. Be assured that we don’t sell your information to third parties and results are anonymous. The results from the survey will be published in the July and August issues of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine.
Are we kind of nosy? Yes, but it pays off for you in the end.
About The Author
Julie Mazur
Managing Editor, Electrical Contractor magazineJulie Mazur is the managing editor of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, Safety Leader and Line Contractor magazines. Before coming to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, she was an editor at Knight-Ridder/Tribune newspapers and the Los Angeles Times and taught English as a foreign language in Egypt and Japan. As managing editor, Julie oversees the whole publishing arc. She plans and assigns the stories for every issue, works with writers and designers and interacts with the printing plant. She has a mass communications B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Go Bears!
Permanently retired from ziplining, Julie is an enthusiastic sports spectator and radio listener. She likes to read, exercise and cook.
