Rule 8

Rules for Electric Meter and Service Installations (REMSI)

Rule 8 - High Voltage Service - Exceeding 600 Volts Through 15kV - Underground Service from Overhead Lines

  1. PPL EU Supplies Lateral:

    When a customer requests underground service to be installed, PPL EU will install, own and maintain an underground service lateral from a PPL EU pole on or adjacent to the customer's property to the point of service providing:

    1. Customer pays to PPL EU its estimated excess cost of the underground service lateral over the estimated cost of normal overhead construction, plus any right-of-way or permit fees incurred by PPL EU.

    2. Customer excavates, backfills and restores the surface of the trench and when specified by PPL EU, furnishes and installs the underground conduits starting from and including the elbow at the base of PPL EU's pole to the point of service, including any manholes or handholes required.

      Customer is responsible for piercing and sealing the wall where conduits enter the building. The installation is made in accordance with PPL EU's plans and specifications and subject to PPL EU inspection.

      Upon completion, ownership of such facilities installed by customer on the line side of the point of service and not located in, on or under buildings shall vest in PPL EU free-of-charge.

      PPL EU will thereafter maintain these facilities at no cost to customer.

    3. Customer furnishes, installs, operates and maintains a high voltage service disconnecting means of a type designated by PPL EU, at the point of service, of the type, size and duty characteristics specified by PPL EU.

      This disconnecting means shall be installed on the supply side of the metering equipment. (See Sketch #39 for one line diagram.)

      PPL EU’s distribution system can support fusing up to 175E standard speed power fuses for point of contact applications. If a 175E fuse is inadequate for customer loading, then an electronic fuse or a group operated tripping device such as a recloser or relayed circuit breaker is required. When a circuit breaker other than a drawout type is installed, it shall be preceded by a set of isolating switches so mounted that the break is visible when the switches are open. (C)

    4. Customer furnishes and installs suitable housing, similar to CRS 6-09-199, and installs the instrument transformer metering equipment furnished by PPL EU at a location specified by PPL EU.

    5. Customer submits for PPL EU approval detailed construction drawings of switchgear, including relaying, prior to construction of the switchgear. PPL EU will provide detailed drawings of switchgear and relaying requirements upon request.

  2. Location of Customer Service Pole or Structure for Alternative Method and General Specification for Customer's Installations:

    As an alternative, the customer may furnish, install and maintain customer's own service pole or support on customer's property and PPL EU attaches its overhead service wires to that service pole or structure and makes the connection at the point of service on the line side terminals of the customer's disconnect mounted on that pole or structure.

    PPL EU's facilities are then a standard overhead service and the customer installs, owns, operates and maintains all facilities beyond the point of service except for the meter. Paragraphs (1) to (7) below cover general specifications to assist customer in planning.

    1. The customer's service pole or structure, of sufficient height to provide clearance to ground, buildings and other facilities as prescribed by the National Electrical Safety Code or any other applicable code, shall be erected at a location acceptable to PPL EU at the most practical point accessible from PPL EU's lines so that the length of the overhead service wires will not be less than 15 feet or more than 100 feet.

      Whenever the service pole or structure must be guyed to offset the pull of PPL EU's service wires, the guy(s) is furnished, installed and maintained by the customer.

      Service pole shall be ANSI Class 4 minimum, preservative treated, and installed at specified depth in accordance with Sketch #47.

    2. The customer furnishes, installs, operates and maintains a disconnecting means, of a type designated by PPL EU, at the point of service on the service pole or structure for electrically disconnecting the customer's facilities from those of PPL EU.

      The disconnecting means shall be installed ahead of the metering equipment. Sketch #31 shows the arrangement of facilities when the underground conductors terminate on a service pole and the high voltage metering equipment is located in the customer's vault or metal clad switchgear in the building, Sketch #36 and CRS 6-09-199 respectively.

    3. When a customer has an alternate 12 KV service with automatic transfer from the normal service line to the alternate source, customer may, upon receiving PPL EU approval, install those facilities ahead of the transfer switches that are necessary to effect the transfer operation.

    4. When the high voltage metering equipment is installed outdoors on the pole on which the customer's underground line terminates, the customer installs two poles:

      1. A service pole with the disconnecting means in accordance with paragraph (b) Rule 7 and Sketch #30, and

      2. A meter pole on which his underground service entrance or distribution lines terminate in accordance with Sketch #34.

    5. It is recommended that all customer owned high voltage underground conductors be buried to a depth of at least 30 inches. Conductors may be installed in PVC Schedule 40, or threaded galvanized rigid or intermediate steel conduit, or be of a type approved for direct burial.

      Direct burial conductors should be protected from injury due to digging. Where cables rise from the ground, or are installed on a pole and at the building, they shall be enclosed in PVC Schedule 80, or threaded galvanized rigid or intermediate steel conduit. Metal conduit shall be grounded.

    6. When customer's underground conductors extend under a road they shall be installed in PVC Schedule 40, or threaded galvanized rigid or intermediate steel conduit buried with 30 inch minimum cover (36 inch minimum cover for State Highway crossing).

      Special permission is necessary for crossing under a public road and shall be obtained by the customer from the governing body having jurisdiction.

    7. Only underground service entrances which are properly installed and maintained by customer will be connected or permitted to remain connected to the PPL EU's line.

(C) Indicates Change