KGB-Cost to Run electric line (Wasilla, Willow: house, electric bill, yard)

[kidneysc]

I couple weeks ago I put out a request to the MEA to provide a quote for running electricity to a parcel of land of KGB road.

The response was 32-35k for a 600' foot underground run.

There's no additional information on the quote, just a plat with the run highlighted, but it doesn't look like they would have to install any transformers.

This seems a "tad" bit high, I was expecting more along the 10-15k range. Does anyone else have any experience with this? Or is my equilibrium just this far off?!

Thanks for any help:

[Dakster]

Can you get another quote or quotes?

Wonder if you are allowed to lay your own line and then just have the power company do the connection? I would also make sure if you did that, what type/size of line you need to run.

I know that when the power line feeding the neighbors house direct shorted out they tried to get him to pay $5k for the at most 50' run. We are in a "city" so the cost to get to the property is a lot less and they do that stuff all the time here.

I would check up in AK as I don't know about how this work there, but since you are doing this from the beginning, it might be worth putting the line in a conduit pipe. First, the powerline is protected and the other, should it fail, you can pull a new line through it a whole lot easier.

When I ran my own 110v lines in my yard to get power to a shed, I put the outdoor/underground rated romex in a 2" PVC pipe. I also ran my cable TV line to the house in a separate pipe. Before I did that, ever single year the cable company was replacing the "outdoor", "underground" rated cable because it would go bad... 10 years later and I am still on the line I put down in pipe.

[Jan Alaska]

Might be easier to get a quote for an overhead line, I'm thinking part of the problem with running lines underground is that they have to deal with permafrost (yes even in Wasilla)

[hogfamily]

Our underground line cost around $3,000 for about 100 feet. This was MEA near Willow. The cost was added to our electric bill over several years, (with no interest).

[kidneysc]

Thanks Hog, I had heard through some friends/coworkers in the valley that it was about $1,000 for 300 ft, which sounds pretty close to what you had.

Ill have to give them another call and get some details on the estimate.

[hogfamily]

When we had ours run there were several people in the area that also had lines ran and that may have reduced the cost somewhat.

[RayinAK]

For $35K I would produce my own electrify, with both a generator and a solar-energy system.

[kidneysc]

Hey Jan:

Thanks for the reply, Its always good to see another Michigander out there. (Go State). I agree that they burial is probably about 4' deep due frost line, but think you may be confusing frost depth and permafrost. There is very little chance for permafrost in the Wasilla area, specifically around KGB road, though the freeze line is going to be pretty deep, could be +8 feet on a cold winter.

This chart should show what I'm talking about, and is a handy reference all around.

http://permafrost.gi.alaska.edu/site..._etal_2008.pdf