Many tourists travel to the United States and find: Why are the telephone poles on both sides of the road made of wood? There are not only rural trails, but also San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Washington... these familiar and prosperous cities can also be seen everywhere.

As an established developed country, why does the United States still use this "old antique" on a large scale? Regarding the wooden electric pole, there are several possible reasons for its existence. You can let your free brain go and discuss which reason is valid.

Possible reason 1:

Enough trees

According to 2016 data, the forest area of the United States is about 3.03 million square kilometers, accounting for 30% of the country's land area, and it ranks fourth in the world. This is very dazzling data.

There are more forests, so there are more trees suitable for electric poles. So, pick a tree that is high enough, remove the branches and leaves, peel it, cook and soak it in tar, press in the antiseptic at high temperature and high pressure, and then slightly scorch the surface of a part of the wood buried in the ground to become a telephone pole.

With local materials, the cost is low.

Possible reason 2:

the power grid was built early and the facilities are outdated

In the United States, we rarely see brand-new buildings, and there is no sight of construction everywhere. U.S. infrastructure was built on a large scale in the 1950s and 1960s, and it is currently aging seriously, and the power system is no exception.

At about 4:30 pm Eastern Time on August 14, 2003, the power supply to cities such as New York, Detroit, Cleveland in the United States, Toronto and Ottawa in Canada was suddenly interrupted for 29 hours. After the blackout, the then-U.S. President Bush said during an inspection in Santa Monica that the U.S. electricity supply network was "old and obsolete." Former US Secretary of Energy Richardson also said that the US power system is still at the level of third world countries, and the US needs a new power grid.

Therefore, it is reasonable to have so many antique poles in this old grid map.

Possible reason 3:

American poles can’t be changed if you want to.

To update the US grid facilities, the investment is astronomical. According to estimates by the American Electric Power Research Institute in California, US$50 billion to US$100 billion are needed.

The government's funds come from taxpayers, and the government's public expenditure is subject to parliamentary deliberation and democratic voting. ……The result is usually: the city budget is already tight, if it can be used, why update it?

Possible reasons 4:

There are many low-voltage lines, and the wooden poles are convenient to erect

Data show that in August 2016, the US terminal electricity consumption was 375.8 billion kWh, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%. Among them, residential electricity consumption was 155.9 billion kwh, accounting for 41.47% of total electricity consumption; industrial electricity consumption was 83.3 billion kwh, accounting for only 22.65% of total electricity consumption.

Obviously, residential electricity consumption accounts for the majority, coupled with the fact that the United States is sparsely populated and residents are scattered. Therefore, the local power grid has the characteristics of many light-load transmission lines and long distances. From the point of view of weight, in many places, the line voltage level is low, the load is light, and the weight of the corresponding wire is also light, so the wooden pole can withstand it; from the operational level, the wooden pole can withstand such a long line. It is tough, easy to erect, and easy to move the pole.

Therefore, it is understandable that U.S. power companies prefer wooden poles in combination with the low-cost options mentioned in the previous article.

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