CUC nears completion of CK power project

Influx of federal funds into the CNMI has allowed the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to expedite the completion of the huge $2-million Chalan Kanoa electrical project, which rebuilds Saipan’s oldest power systems.

The money originated from the US Congress and Department of Interior, flowing to the CNMI through Capitol Improvements Project funding.

“It’s one of our strongest electrical systems now,” said CUC Executive Director Timothy P. Villagomez.

The utility began ordering supplies in February 1999. Today, 264 power poles are installed, holding 117 new transformers powerful enough to energize modern appliances and big enough to handle extra customers.

“Neighbors are also happy because we moved old power poles out of their yards, and even from tight spots in between houses,” Mr. Villagomez explained.

As the old Chalan Kanoa village grew with economic development, homes and businesses surrounded the electrical system, creating an unsafe environment.

During typhoons, the old power poles were among the first to fall, and the high voltage wires became mangled like spaghetti, dangling from rooftop into windblown windows.

The community utility is pleased that Chalan Kanoa customers can rest tonight knowing that the electrical system meets the US National Electric Safety Code-or at least knowing that crews near project completion, said Mr. Villagomez.

“We are going to put nearly every crew we have in Chalan Kanoa this Saturday, and every Saturday now through mid February,” promised Professional Engineer Ben Mesa, who heads the utility’s power division.

On Saturday, at least 40 men will still string new, stronger and bigger high voltage wires on all of the power poles that were recently installed. Some parts of the village poles already have new wires, but most do not.

“This is hard work. It takes a lot of men to roll out the spans of heavy gage cable, lift them to the poles and hold them in place while crews install and connect them,” he explained.

According to Mr. Mesa, the men cannot work on the new power poles unless the power is turned off throughout the stretch of Chalan Kanoa’s existing electrical line.

The village is crowded with homes and businesses. The roads and rights of way are limited. Although there are new power poles, they are installed very near to the old electrical system.

“If our men work on top of the new power poles, the electricity can actually are over to our new project site endangering the crews. This is precisely why we must have this Saturday outages- to connect the high voltage wires without getting hurt in the process,” Mr. Mesa said.

A total of 170,000 feet of new cables are going up.