NCEMC to begin Fiber Expansion Project on Hatteras Island

North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC), in partnership with Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) and ElectriCom Inc., will begin work to expand their cooperative fiber network by installing a new fiber line spanning from Nags Head to Buxton.

The first phase of the project will begin the week of September 16th and will include fiber installation in the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon and Buxton. This phase of construction is expected to take approximately 18 weeks.

The new fiber will be installed in the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s right-of-way and will be bored under driveways, side roads, and wetlands and trenched in areas that allow it. CHEC will also have taps installed into the Waves and Avon substations.

NCEMC and CHEC began planning for this project after several communication outages affected Hatteras Island due to the volatile nature of the island’s current and only fiber line. This new fiber will greatly improve the reliability of NCEMC’s communications with its generation plant in Buxton, as well as CHEC’s communication abilities with its substations and the mainland.