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said Marek Samotyj, Electric Power Research Institute manager for power quality, in a July 1999 edition of Fortune magazine. Power quality also is a focus of a newly organised state group. The Rural Energy Management Council is an 18-member board that will look at stray voltage and other energy-related issues fac- ing rural Wisconsin. for power quality, in a July 1999 edition of Fortune magazine. It is a bright, late fall day as a dozen or so farmers gather in Power quality also is a focus of a newly organised state group. front of a newer concrete block barn on the farm of Duane and The Rural Energy Management Council is an 18-member board Renée Suchla outside of Arcadia. Pigeons coo in the rafters and a that will look at stray voltage and other energy-related issues fac- thin coat of dust from ground corn covers the dirt. ing rural Wisconsin. There is idle talk of mild weather, but the congregation has come together to hear about stray voltage. Giving the sermon is WHY IS POWER QUALITY GETTING WORSE? Dave Stetzer, who stands in front of the barn with his hands "We have a 19th century distribution system and 21st century draped over a decorative concrete block pulpit. Standing nearby technology," said Dave Stetzer, an electrical contractor from is Chuck Forster, an electrical engineer and stray voltage consul- Blair, Wisconsin. Stetzer is leading a charge against the utility tant for the state's electrical cooperatives, and other Riverland industry, whom he blames for misleading farmers and the public Energy Cooperative employees. about the problem of electrical pollution and ignoring potential Many of the farmers, like the Suchlas and their neighbour Steve solutions. "It's a very simple thing. We're Haines, have heard Stetzer's message using the earth as a conductor rather than before. They and many other farmers have for safety." hired him to diagnose the cause of electrical The Electric Power Research Institute problems on their farms. They show no says 70 per cent of all electricity used by surprise when Stetzer immediately attacks. 2002 will pass through equipment that pro- "I can plainly see this problem isn't going duces wavelength distortion—called har- away," said Stetzer, who claims he and his monics—that puts heavy loads on the elec- io ground currents partner Martin Graham—a retired professor trical system, up from 30 per cent in 1999. have increased mainly of electrical engineering and computer sci- A higher estimate comes from the electrical ences at the University of California, industry magazine Power Quality because of the lack of Berkeley—have invested $4.5 million into Azsrarce wich soséo percent ofthe | repair on the lines and | sch “dont mins wos, That's th Duane Dahlberg, a retired physicist who because of the fact ty whores because that's what they are"— is now a consultant for The they have increased referring to scientists conducting stray volt- Electromagnetics Research Foundation in Moorhead, Minnesota, has studied ground currents and stray voltage since 1983. "The ground currents have increased mainly because of the lack of repair on the lines and because of the fact they have increased the loads on the lines without improving them," Dahlberg said. "Higher loads force a greater current to go through the ground rather than the neutral." Both Northern States Power Co. and Riverland Energy Cooperative say they have a constant improvement plan to upgrade and repair power age research that is funded in part by utility companies. "I could have sold you the Brooklyn Bridge and it wouldn't do any good. Nothing I can sell to you can fix your problem. It's autility problem." The utilities say it's not always their problem. "Most problems are caused by on-farm sources," Herro said. "There are ways to solve on-farm sources. Every single farm has stray voltage. You can either attack by decreasing the amount of ground cur- rent generated from the farm sources or the utility sources. And there are documented ways to do both." the loads on the lines without improving them ..." lines. Oelkers said Riverland also has a contingency fund to deal But Haines, who milks a 45-cow registered Brown Swiss herd with emergency repairs. about three miles from the Suchla farm, says he still has his stray Mike Herro, an NSP spokesman, said the utility has not seen voltage problem despite working with his utility. evidence of increased ground currents and said harmonics are "I've been dealing with [stray voltage] for many years and no under control. one wanted to do anything about it until Dave Stetzer came "I've seen most of the concern in places where they have a lot around," he said. of switching power supplies like an industrial plant or a business He also said that since taking over the family farm in 1970, he that has lots of computers," Herro said. has rewired his farm, put in an electrical grounding system and And Oelkers said harmonics are more of a concern in more still he has problems with electrical currents flowing through his industrialised areas. barn, despite numerous visits by Riverland (formerly A 1995 survey by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Trempealeau) Cooperative employees. of 48 utilities found that 59 per cent of the conventional electrical "Stetzer's going to set the record straight," Haines said. "We'll current flowed into the earth. The study did not measure harmon- share some opinions and see what side [the cooperative] is on. ics, however, and concluded that earth currents were not a signifi- Someone's going to be called a liar; that's what I think." cant factor in stray voltage. Duane Suchla says he doesn't think he has got the truth since he But the utilities picture nationwide is not as optimistic when it built the barn and expanded his herd from 100 to 300 cows in comes to power quality issues. "Electrical utilities are unani- December 1993. He saw problems with his cows almost immedi- mous," Power Quality Assurance said in a recent article. "The ately. Milk production fell and the cows refused to drink, had epidemic has barely begun." trouble getting up and were aborting calves at the rate of 20 per "= ground currents have increased mainly because of the lack of repair on the lines and because of the fact they have increased the loads on the lines now without improving them ..." them ..." 14 = NEXUS "STRAY VOLTAGE" ON THE FARM www.nexusmagazine.com AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2001