The challenge:
The challenge:
The Village of Cadott (Cadott) board has determined that it must act to address the condition of its electric system:
- Portions of Cadott’s electric system are over capacity subjecting the electric system to unacceptable risks of extended outages.
- Cadott’s electric system has no capacity for growth, but the Village must grow – add residential and business electric customers – to broaden its tax base so that today’s, and tomorrow’s, cost of Village services and amenities are spread across more consumers – lowering the shared cost per individual household.
- When something breaks on Cadott’s power lines, it is very difficult to get replacement parts – like trying to find parts for any piece of equipment decades out of manufacture.
In July 2024, the Cadott board opted to put the preliminary agreement with CVEC on hold while it engages EPS Engineering for another study of its electric system and Ehlers, Inc., for an electric rate case study.
Initial CVEC estimates indicated that it would require a more than 40 percent rate increase over several years for the 840-some Cadott electric customers to pay for the cost of keeping and upgrading its electric system investment on their own.
A June 2023 engineering study commissioned by the Village of Cadott board reported that the required Cadott electric system investment consists of an estimated $7.45 million to replace:
- 2 substation transformers and associated disconnect switches and connection equipment
- 500 poles and cross arms to support new electric conductors
- 491 spans of overhead electric conductors
- 227 pole and pad mounted distribution transformers
- Voltage control systems, fusing and regulators
An additional $250,000 would be required to replace the meters.