The new submarine cable, which will create a more reliable connection to power for Ocracoke Island, has arrived on Hatteras Island and work to install the cable has begun. The project, which is orchestrated by Tideland Electric Membership Corporation, will effectively remove the aerial power lines from Pole Road in the southern end of Hatteras Island, switching to a submarine cable that will be a far more reliable power source.
This installation has been necessitated by the 1.5 miles of beach erosion that has occured along the shoreline of Hatteras Inlet since Hurricane Isabel in 2003. By installing nearly 10,000 feet of cable in a trench along Pole Rd, the extension will eliminate the need for the continued presence and maintenence of the above ground aerial power lines.
