Diablo-Gates / Diablo Midway Circuits

Michels Pacific Energy, Inc. partnered with our customer to establish a workplan and replace insulators on 924 structures on the Diablo-Gates 500kV circuit and the Diablo-Midway 500 kV circuit. The crews worked with three helicopters in 62 different landing zones spanning hundreds of miles from the Pacific Coast, over the Los Padres National Forest Mountain Range of San Luis Obispo, through the Diablo Range Mountains and into the San Joaquin Valley.

Mountainous terrain, steep slopes, elevation changes and heavily agricultural areas established many constraints in all locations making standard equipment inaccessible. By obtaining the correct road permits and working around environmental restrictions the crews were able to plan their work in a logistical manner to maintain efficiency and overcome these difficulties.