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Case Study: Utility Defers 25k Pole Replacements

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Introduction

A large distribution network operator with more than 2 million customers partnered with Neara to better manage their asset management lifecycle across asset repair and replacement. They were facing climbing costs and needed to invest more efficiently in network upgrades while demonstrating effective capital allocation and expense budget management.

The Challenge

The utility had made a regulatory commitment to identify and remediate any poles at high risk of failure across their network. They had to prove which poles were in especially bad shape to justify the investment decision, but they only had qualitative field reports and their equipment age-based methodology to explain the logic behind which poles needed replacement.

Initially, they estimated that 25-30k poles needed to be retired and entirely replaced. The cost had become a point of contention with their regulator, and the asset management team needed to both de-risk problem poles and also right-size and justify the replacement cost.

The Solution

Using Neara’s platform, the utility proved that a large portion of the condemned poles were still structurally stable and suitable to remain in service for a defined period. The number of condemned poles was significantly reduced to 4k poles, saving millions of dollars without compromising safety and network integrity.

The utility used Neara’s predictive modeling software to perform tip-loading analysis across every pole in the network, including Finite Element Analysis and various severe weather simulations. The analysis produced evidence that the utility shared with their regulator to prove it was safe to leave much of the initially condemned poles in service. The utility has now entirely digitized its pole tip-loading analysis using Neara’s technology to continually run fast cost-benefit analyses across all risk and asset management programs.

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