The Hydro authority has been busy with the construction of a third 500 kilovolt line to the lower mainland from t the Revelstoke dam. lost in the shuffle has been a relatively minor additional line  to the Highland Valley from the Merritt Substation. The huge Teck corporation open-pit moly and copper mine is there and has been having its mill expanded.

The line to a substation in the Highland valley will replace an existing one that follows Voght street in Merritt now. The line in the 60 thousand volt range  will be replaced with a 130 thousand volt range line.

It was also planned that a cogeneration plant from a local saw mill burning green wood waste would add to the electrical production going to the Highland valley.

There is no word on the cogeneration project however on the weekend it was observed that the survey stakes have been placed for the new branch line. The new line follows the Coquihalla highway 5 north for away then heads to the Highland valley. survey stakes go right through Extra foods and Coyote bluffs residential development to the Merritt substation site that is currently being upgraded.

The line also follows an existing  just outrside Merritt Telus fiber line and comes close to a high pressure pipeline to Burnaby before veering off north of Saunders field  the local airstrip outside Merritt city limits.

The province has put up signs saying that BC has 95 percent green energy at at least one EV charging site.

Today in history: January 27th 1961

The Soviet submarine S-80 sinks with all hands.