FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ITC Conducting Fall Aerial Patrols of Transmission Lines in Southeast Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. October 16, 2014 – ITC will be conducting its semi-annual aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission towers and lines in southeast Oklahoma October 21 until October 24, weather permitting. The helicopter patrols are conducted to provide an overall status of the overhead transmission lines owned and operated by ITC Great Plains, LLC.
The aerial inspections in southeast Oklahoma will cover an area ranging approximately 18 miles from Fort Towson in Choctaw County to near Millerton in McCurtain County.
These semiannual patrols are conducted in compliance with North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirements for ITC’s operations, maintenance and vegetation management functions and are consistent with ITC’s standards for operational excellence. They include inspections of steel towers, conductors (wires), insulators and other equipment. Crews check for damaged or worn equipment and vegetation hazards.
The inspection flights are often conducted at low altitudes to allow accurate visual inspection of equipment and are normal procedures, so there is no cause for alarm if a low-flying helicopter is sighted near transmission lines.
About ITC Great Plains
ITC Great Plains, LLC is a transmission-only utility operating in the Southwest Power Pool region. The company currently owns and operates approximately 200 circuit miles of transmission lines in Kansas and Oklahoma. ITC Great Plains maintains regional offices in Dodge City and Topeka, Kansas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ITC Great Plains is a subsidiary of ITC Grid Development, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the nation’s largest independent electric transmission company. ITC’s focus on transmission and grid development drives operational excellence and delivers superior value for customers, communities and other stakeholders.
Media Contact: Elizabeth Hunt, APR (405.536.0068 EHUNT@ITCTRANSCO.COM)