This will minimize the disruption of service to power consumers and translate into an uninterrupted revenue flow for CUC, he added.
Camacho said seven linemen, including one from Rota, are now undergoing training with Harry “Spike” Speicher, Pacific Lineman Training director.
The linemen will be certified to work on energized transmission lines, he said.
In a separate interview, Speicher said the program will take several years to develop, and involves considerable funding, tools and equipment.
The main goal, he said, is to cut the power interruption during the repair and maintenance work.
“To energize 13,800 volts we usually turn the power off when work is being done on the power line. We’ll teach them about live-line barehand work or hot energized work,” Speicher said.
Power outages cost CUC a lot of lost revenue, he added.
Faustino R. Yangmog, Yap State Public Service Corporation general manager, was able to get a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior that also allowed CUC to fund the training of its linemen.
Speicher, a lineman with 40 years of experience, said the seven CUC linemen undergoing training learned the basics in September.
Speicher said he is looking forward to train them in underground operation and maintenance of power lines.
This week, Camacho said 14 other CUC linemen also underwent the first of the two basic training sessions scheduled for this year.
The training is conducted by Speicher and Chris Middleton, Pacific Lineman Training instructor.
