NPPD crews beginning annual inspection of transmission lines

COLUMBUS, Neb. -- Residents around the state may soon see a helicopter or Nebraska Public Power District trucks and UTVs near powerlines as crews begin their annual Spring inspection of the transmission system.

NPPD said in a press release on Thursday that it wants residents to be aware of this process, which involves looking at every component on every transmission structure, across the state, over the next couple of months.

“This allows us to identify any parts or equipment on the transmission system that might need replaced or repaired,” said NPPD Transmission Manager Bob Blessin. “By doing that, we can avoid outages that would have otherwise occurred, reduce costs by being proactive with maintenance, and improve the overall reliability of the system throughout the year.”

Helicopter patrols will take place around the western portion of the state during the first half of March and the southeastern portion of the state during the second half of March. After those two areas have been patrolled, the helicopter will inspect lines in northeast Nebraska around the beginning of April before moving through central Nebraska to inspect any remaining lines.

Crews in all areas of the state are starting to inspect these lines from the ground, and will be completing their patrols over the next couple of months.