With the 2010 U.S. Census in full swing, Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative will be doing some counting of its own this spring. Instead of counting people, though, the co-op plans to inventory and map every pole, transformer and related pieces of electrical equipment on its electric system using global positioning system (GPS) technology.

The GPS mapping project, expected to begin in April and take more than a year to complete, will provide significant benefits to cooperative members, according to Steve Allabaugh, Claverack’s director of engineering.

“The new mapping system will help crews get the lights back on more quickly following a power outage,” Allabaugh said. “Knowing what size pole and transformer is at each location will allow the crews to leave the shop with all the equipment needed to fix the problem.”

The cooperative has contracted with Davey Resource Group to conduct the inventory and mapping project. Davey field technicians will canvas the entire Claverack distribution system, pinpointing the exact location of each pole and pad-mounted equipment using GPS satellite technology. Technicians will also gather data about all electrical equipment at each location.

“This will be a huge undertaking,” Allabaugh said. “We deliver power to more than 18,000 meters through a distribution system that includes over 2,700 miles of line across eight counties, and our contracted field technicians will be covering every inch of that system over the next 12 months.”

All Davey field technicians will be driving vehicles clearly marked with the Davey Resource Group logo. The technicians will also carry badges identifying them as employees of Davey performing work as a contractor for Claverack.

The project will require Davey technicians to visit meter locations on the outside of members’ homes and businesses, according to Allabaugh, but in no instance should a technician need to enter a member’s residence.

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, with headquarters in Wysox, provides electricity to more than 16,000 members in Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

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