Part one of two: the capital work plan allocates funding to high-impact projects within both Cloverland’s distribution and generation divisions. This article provides an overview of engineering priorities. Generation projects in the capital work plan will be featured in the January | February issue of Connections.
Cloverland Electric Cooperative’s strategic $75 million capital work plan is a four-year roadmap that directs critical reinvestments in the co-op’s electric system. Designed to tackle the highest-priority projects, the plan ensures Cloverland stays ahead of aging infrastructure while preparing for members’ growing energy needs, regional economic development and the rapidly evolving energy landscape.
Grounded in system data and future load projections, the plan was developed in collaboration with Power System Engineering. As a utility engineering firm with expertise in the co-op's Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) service territory, Power System Engineering supported Cloverland engineers in prioritizing projects in the plan. The plan took six months to complete and identified key areas requiring the most urgent investment. Projects are intentionally distributed across Cloverland’s five-county service territory, reinforcing reliability for members throughout this rural area. The capital work plan also aligns with Cloverland’s long-range 20-year vision, providing a structured path for maintaining dependable, affordable power for the future.
“Every project we take on is about making the most of members’ dollars, whether it’s replacing aging equipment, preparing for future growth, or ensuring we have a strong backup plan in place in case the unexpected happens,” explains Simon Meilstrup, Cloverland’s System Engineer.
Improving reliability where it matters most
Upgrades to replace aging equipment at the Portage Substation in Sault Ste. Marie were among the first visible improvements. This project is part of a larger plan encompassing 41 initiatives, with several major priorities scheduled for the next two years:
- Curtis Area Reliability Upgrades – A top priority in 2025 is increasing reliability in the Curtis area. This work will enable the Curtis system to backfeed power from other substations currently not sufficiently networked with those backfeed connections, providing essential reliability safeguards for Curtis area members.
- Manistique line conversion – In Manistique, line conversion is a top priority. This portion of the capital work plan will upgrade and modernize an older line system, which makes outages harder to detect, leading to more costly repairs. Additionally, this line will include efficiency upgrades to improve capacity and, importantly, provide new backfeed connections that did not previously exist. By converting to an upgraded system with greater efficiency and backfeed capability, many indicators suggest that this project will be a significant improvement both economically and operationally for the local area.
- Ongoing line upgrades in Dafter and Newberry – The focus in these areas is on adding increased stability and reinforcement to tie lines and substation backfeed options. Other upgrades include increasing load capabilities to accommodate anticipated growth and continue serving members' energy needs.
- Rockview substation line rebuild in Cedarville - A key 2026 project is the Rockview line rebuild, which will expand available capacity in the Cedarville / Hessel areas and consolidate legacy parallel systems into one more efficient system. With significant recent economic expansion, this project ensures the community has localized capacity available to support local business growth.
- St. Ignace Substation Investments - In 2027, Cloverland plans to loop key circuits between three St. Ignace substations, creating stronger back-feed paths to serve members, including the increasing seasonal energy demand on Mackinac Island. This long-term approach proactively avoids situations where a single equipment failure could cause extended outages.
Planning ahead with members in mind
The capital work plan includes data-driven investments that safeguard Cloverland’s infrastructure for the benefit of all Cloverland members. By proactively investing now before failures occur, Cloverland avoids the higher costs and risks of emergency replacements. Outage and load data guide every decision, ensuring upgrades are prioritized where they will have the most significant impact.
“Reliability doesn’t happen by accident. It takes careful planning and investment,” states Meilstrup.
With 4,000 miles of line and more than 34,000 member-owners, Cloverland’s responsibility is vast, but so is the co-op’s commitment. Cloverland’s engineering and operations teams are energized to move forward with reinvestments that will benefit members for the future.
Did you know? In utility terms, backfeed means having the flexibility to supply power to the same area from a different source. For example, if a substation serving an area goes offline due to equipment failure, Cloverland can switch the area’s power to another substation. This may cause a brief, minor outage, but it prevents members from experiencing a prolonged outage situation.
Cloverland is committed to keeping members informed about the capital work plan. Stay tuned for future updates and follow us on social media to see field photos of capital work plan projects!