The issue of wooden utility poles used in Oklahoma and reviewed by state regulators goes before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Wednesday.
Since November 2024, the commission has been exploring the issue of whether the utility poles allowed in the state meet certain standards. Are they strong enough to withstand certain kinds of weather? In the past few months, utilities have responded to the Notice of Inquiry filed by the commission, offering their input on the subject.
It’s not just a matter of using any old wooden utililty pole. They must meet standards set by the American National Standards Institute which has National Wood Utility Pole Standards. For instance, the standards have limits for the rate of growth in a tree, stating, “The average rate of growth shall be not less than 6 rings per inch when measured on the butt in the outer 2 inches of poles having a minimum required circumference of 37.5 inches or less than 6 feet from the butt.”
Members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association are required to use similar standards and refer to the “fewest growth rings in the required zone” and the “most growth rings in the required zone.”
The inquiry was reported to be based on the claims of Dr. Clayton Posey, owner of Permastrong Wood Products who contends Oklahoma utilities have been installing substandard poles. But the North American Wood Pole Council which represents all wood pole manufacturers in North America contends otherwise, stating that there are no issues with wood pole resiliency in Oklahoma.
The Corporation Commission, since opening its inquiry last fall, has been seeking input of utilities in the state. PSO, in a filing with the commisson stated, “PSO is not aware of any issues related to Pole Resiliency in Oklahoma,” adding “PSO has secure supply chains for utility poles and has no problem procuring poles which meet NESC standards.”
Oklahoma Gas and Electric offered much the same kind of response.
“OG&E is not aware of any issues with new wood pole installations in Oklahoma.”
The utility also offered, “OG&E does not believe there should be a change to wood pole industry standards or existing wood pole procurement processes with respect to pole resiliency.”
The North American Wood Pole Council, through spokesman H.M.Rollins Co. Inc., stated, “If there was something wrong with the poles being provided in Oklahoma, there would be something wrong with the poles being provided to every state east of the Rocky Mountains, because Southern Pine is the dominant pole material in use in all of those states.”
Commissioners will consider their next step in a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.