Below is a letter from APS to customers.

Click here for the original letter, including a map.
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November 17, 2022

Dear APS Customers and Community Members,

We are committed to providing our customers with safe, clean, and reliable electricity. As part of our ongoing effort to fulfill that commitment, we will be upgrading our power lines along Walker Road from Big Bug Mesa Road to Liese Drive in Prescott (see attached map). The existing line poses several challenges as it is no longer accessible and is in a heavily forested area with no access roads.

To provide better accessibility for crews and equipment to repair and maintain our electric facilities, the line will be relocated and built within the existing Walker Road right-of-way. Relocating the line in this manner also provides for more efficient restoration and evacuation measures in the unfortunate event of a wildfire, and greatly reduces the frequency and length of unplanned outages in the area.

For the benefit of keeping our prices affordable for all customers, we have an obligation to build new infrastructure in the most cost-effective way without compromising safety. With that in mind, our standard construction of new power lines is overhead, as that is significantly less expensive to build and maintain than an underground installation. While our standard practice is overhead construction, there may be instances wherein underground installation takes place, such as through development agreements or where individual customers have paid for the lines to be placed underground.

We are currently in the design and engineering phase of this project, which requires extensive research and evaluation, environmental studies in some locations, and coordination with partner agencies for any necessary. permitting and reviews.
As the project nears construction, you’ll receive additional information related to construction activities that may impact you or any planned outages. Construction is currently expected to begin in Spring 2024.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve the reliability of our system, and the service we provide to this community and the families who call it home.

For questions/concerns regarding this project, please contact our APS Construction Outreach Consultant at MakPro, Teresa Makinen, (602) 421-3069, apsprojects@makprosvc.com or Darla DeVille. APS Public Affairs Manager, at (928) 443-6614 or Darla.Deville@aps.com.

Please reference work order #WE016235.