Southwest Mississippi Electric Power Association officials say asubstation and distribution line work will improve servicereliability for approximately 3,200 Lincoln County customers.

“It’s going fine,” said Percy McCaa, Southwest EPA generalmanager, about progress on the work plan that will also helpcustomers in Copiah and Jefferson counties.

The Lincoln County work, totaling approximately $1.1 million,includes a new Loyd Star substation that became operational earlierthis year and new distribution lines for the Brookhavensubstation.

The new Loyd Star substation, located west of Jackson-LibertyRoad, was needed to reduce the load on the Brookhaven substationand to accommodate growth in surrounding communities likeCaseyville, Union Church, McCall Creek and Zetus.

McCaa said crews are working on lines to complete connection ofthe substation to Southwest EPA’s distribution system. With crewsworking east and west of the substation, he estimated thesubstation was handling about 60 percent of its planned load.

“We’re adding the load to it as we do that work,” McCaasaid.

McCaa said the Brookhaven substation’s excess capacity, createdby moving load to the Loyd Star substation, will be needed forcontinued growth in the city limits.

Preliminary planning for distribution lines to serve BrookwayBoulevard, Halbert Heights and the east end of Zetus Road hasbegun. McCaa said the construction will allow higher distributioncapacity and is tentatively schedule to start in the spring of2001.

The Loyd Star and Brookhaven work is part of a four-year, $22million project across the association’s nine-county service area.The area includes all or parts of Lincoln, Copiah, Jefferson,Hinds, Claiborne, Franklin, Amite, Adams and Wilkinsoncounties.

The work plan got under way around September 1998 and isscheduled for completion in June 2002. As of Sept. 30, 2000, McCaasaid work totaling about $10 million had been completed.

“This is the largest work plan in the history of Southwest,”McCaa said about the association that was incorporated in 1937.

McCaa said Southwest is borrowing the funds and increasing itsdebt to do the needed work. As for the effect on customers’ bills,he indicated that has not been determined.

A rate study to determine the need for adjustments is scheduledfor December or January, McCaa said. With the study yet to be done,McCaa was unsure if a rate increase would be needed or how much itwould be.

McCaa complimented MDR crews that are working on electric linesalong Highway 550 leading to the Loyd Star substation.

“They’re on schedule and that’s what we like,” McCaa said.

McCaa also expressed appreciation to property owners where linesare run. He said the new lines are higher, and that has requiredsome additional trimming of tree limbs and branches along theroadside.

“The majority of the folks have been real cooperative,” McCaasaid. “That always helps.”