South Central Power Company is the largest member-owned cooperative power company in Ohio and the twentieth largest in the country. South Central Power was the first electric cooperative to install and test wood poles treated with UltraPole®NXT in 2018.
UltraPole NXT is formulated with the active ingredient, DCOI an environmentally advanced organic, broad-spectrum biocide and is EPA-classified as a non-restricted use pesticide. Viance worked extensively to develop UltraPole NXT as the first, major innovation for wood pole protection in decades.
Zachery Reed, Director of Engineering for South Central Power, states, “After a recent review, inspections of the installed DCOI-treated poles looked as good now as the day they were initially installed. The poles showed no signs of ground-line decay and no loss of utility pole strength.”
Bob Baeppler, Business Development Manager with Viance, notes, “Viance developed the DCOI oil-borne preservative formulation for wood poles, crossarms, and other industrial uses such as bridge timbers and railroad ties. In 2018 DCOI was registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the industrial pressure treatment of wood intended for use on utility poles, cross arms or transportation (road or rail) bridge timbers as UP-23. In 2022 the list of commodities was expanded to include railroad ties, glue laminated material and pedestrian bridge timbers as UP-23-G3. In 2023, an alternative formulation (UP50) based on DCOI but intended for western species was registered with the EPA for the same commodities.”
UltraPole NXT with DCOI provides long-term efficacy with low environmental impact and offers benefits for pole treaters, utilities, line workers and the environment. UltraPole NXT is leach resistant, easy to climb and contributes no odor to the solution the wood is treated with.
Compared to other materials such as steel or concrete, DCOI treated wood utility poles use less energy, fossil fuels and water; while producing less acid rain, eco-toxicity, and greenhouse gases. Learn more at ultrapolenxt.com.
About South Central Power Company
South Central Power Company is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 125,000 residential, commercial, and industrial members in 24 Ohio counties. The cooperative maintains more than 12,000 miles of energized power lines that traverse parts of 24 counties in Ohio. South Central is governed by a 11-member board of trustees elected by the membership and is proud to be owned by the consumers that it serves.
About Viance, LLC
Viance, LLC, formed in 2006, provides an extensive range of advanced wood treatment technologies and services to the global wood preservation industry. With expertise in wood biocides and wood protection chemicals, Viance is the industry leader in the development of advanced building material solutions that improve the performance and durability of wood products in residential, commercial and industrial applications.
In 2008, Viance developed and commercialized DCOI as the active ingredient in the non-metallic preservative, Ecolife® for the residential building market. In 2018, Viance developed the first oil-borne preservative with DCOI to provide environmentally advanced solutions for infrastructure applications including utility poles, crossarms and railroad ties.