Whats on a Utility Pole?
Back to Utility Pole Diagram • Static Wire The static wire is the pole’s top wire which bleeds lightning surges off the power lines during a storm. Without a static wire, lightning induced voltage would otherwise build up on power line conductors during a lightning strike and cause damage. The static wire is connected to the grounding conductor. • Grounding Conductor The grounding conductor is a wire that connects the static wire to the ground rod. You can recognize the grounding conductor because this wire runs the entire length of the pole. • A – B – C Phase These transmission wires carry high voltage electricity from the power plants in three phases, usually labeled A, B, and C. The three phase wires carry the power to substations where the voltage is reduced. From the substations, the power is distributed by lines called feeders. • Transmission Transmission wires carry electricity at voltages of 69-500 kilovolts (kV) from the generating plants to the substations. You might think of
