Upgrades Needed at the Pawhuska Electric Grid

​As the City of Pawhuska continues to grow, so do the concerns that the town can be powered off of its current electric grid. This is why Utilities Director Bill Bruce would like to see some improvements at the sub-station where the town’s power is generated.
Bruce said that his budget is a little bit short at the time because of the ice storm over the winter and expenses incurred assisting with the development of Bird Creek Farms. Bruce is looking to purchase two metering stations, relays and circuit switchers. The total cost for these items is nearly $250,000 and Bruce says other repair work must be done costing upward of $250,000.
Bruce said these repairs must be done while the temperatures are between 50 and 78 degrees so that the town doesn’t use much power, causing an outage as repairs are being made. Bruce added that it would be beneficial for the council to act quickly if they wanted to do this.
When asked what could happen if they didn’t go out for bid on these items, Bruce gave a bleak response.
The council opted to table that agenda item and they will re-visit the subject at Tuesday evening’s special called meeting. Bruce added that there is a shortage of chlorine, causing prices to increase. He expects this to continue for at least the next year.