No matter its location, a Lynches River Electric Cooperative substation is likely to stand out with its complicated mesh of steel, wires and strange objects protruding above high, chain-linked fencing. Every piece, part and contraption has a role in providing members with safe, reliable electricity.
Our substations are specifically designed and built for our system and load. Each one is an energy hub for the area that it serves. If anything goes wrong, it can affect thousands of members. Our efforts toward reliability begin at our substations.
Lynches River Electric substations try to prevent outages with devices like: lightning arresters, which divert surge currents to the earth; regulators, which keep voltage levels within acceptable ranges; relays, which sense faults and send interruption messages to the circuit breakers; and fuses—much like the ones in the typical home breaker box—which have fusible links that break as overcurrent passes through them.
In order for electricity to travel hundreds of miles from generation sources to a Lynches River substation, it must have a high voltage. However, these voltage levels are much higher than appliances in homes and businesses can handle. The substation’s primary purpose is to receive the high voltage transmission power and begin stepping it down to a lower voltage through a device called a transformer—so called because it “transforms” electricity from one voltage to another.
Wherever high voltage currents are flowing, safety must be paramount. That’s why Lynches River Electric Cooperative takes every precaution to protect its members and employees in and around its substations. Lynches River’s substations are secured and monitored to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering. Fencing also keeps out debris and animals.
Individuals should not be in contact with the outer fencing or attempt to enter inside it. If you see someone other than a cooperative employee attempting to enter a substation, alert Lynches River Electric immediately at (843) 672-6111.