Close Menu
Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette Logo Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette

410-723-6397

Choptank upgrades its infrastructure in Pines

By Greg Ellison

(Feb. 20, 2020) Aiming for improved service delivery in Ocean Pines, Choptank Electric Cooperative this week began several months of infrastructure upgrades to replace lines and equipment, which will piggyback on the golf clubhouse construction project.

Valerie Connelly, Choptank vice president of government affairs and public relations, said contractor Tuckahoe Underground will be installing equipment on weekdays, with about 90 percent of work being completed around the Ocean Pines Golf Club.

“Ocean Pines identified this as the most appropriate time with the golf course work underway,” she said.

The repairs are not anticipated to involve any road closures or detours, with work trucks primarily parked on Brandywine Drive and Hingham Lane.

Connelly said the goal is installing a tie-line to detour electricity and bypass service outages.

“If electricity went down in one area, we would be able to reroute it quickly,” she said.

If power lines faltered, the bypass option would provide improved reliability and redundancy in the future, Connelly said.

Another advantage during cold weather is avoiding freezing conditions for residents if power outages occur while demand is high for home heating.

“We can move the load around and spread out as people demand it,” she said.

Although just getting underway, the repairs are slated to be completed in time for the opening of the new golf clubhouse.

“It will all be restored to the original state and done by the time of the clubhouse,” she said. “All in the name of redundancy and reliability.”

Choptank Electric Cooperative members can ask questions about the project by calling 1-877-892-0001 during regular business hours, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.