East River Electric prepares site for construction
July 5, 2007
To support continuing growth and operational changes, East River Electric Power Cooperative is preparing to construct a new warehouse/service center west of Madison. Property was acquired during June, located between East River's existing materials storage area and Highway 34/81 west of Madison.
East River workers completed the cleanup of the six-acre tract, a former drive-in theater, with a bonfire early Thursday morning. East River employees lit the approximately 20-foot pile of leftover debris at 6:30 a.m. July 5. The pile burned hot and quickly turned to ashes, clearing the site for future construction.
An architect is completing a design for the proposed facility. The property will provide a new primary entrance to the East River outdoor storage yard and a site for constructing a new 27,000-square-foot building. The proposed Madison Service Center will house a materials storage warehouse, vehicle service center and base of operations for the Madison Line Crew.
During this decade, East River's annual load growth has been about five percent annually, well above the electric industry average. In recent years, crews have been constructing 4 or 5 new substations and dozens of miles of power lines each year in order to supply power for new ethanol plants, industrial facilities and new residential areas served by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota.
This new service center will enhance our ability to expand and maintain our 2,600-mile transmission system, so East River's 21 member distribution systems can meet the growing demand for electricity by new and existing electric cooperative members.
