Building a Stronger, More Resilient Grid

System upgrade in Maple Hill and Rocky Point

At Four County EMC, we are investing heavily in infrastructure to keep electricity reliable and affordable for our members. Projects like our nearly complete Hampstead Substation and a new substation site near Pender Commerce Park are designed to meet growing demand in fast-developing areas.

In Sampson County, the Waycross-to-Turkey transmission line upgrade will replace wooden poles with engineered steel poles and higher-capacity conductors. These improvements will modernize our system to withstand extreme weather and prepare for future growth.

Another recent example is the system upgrade completed in Maple Hill and Rocky Point, highlighted in the photography (above) from the planned outage. During a planned outage in September, crews replaced aging wooden structures with modern steel poles and larger conductor lines. This upgrade strengthens the grid against storms, reduces repair times, and increases capacity to serve a growing community.

By planning ahead and securing outside resources, we are working to build a system that is stronger, more reliable, and ready for the future while continuing to protect our members’ bottom line.

While these investments are critical, we recognize that external factors outside of our control such as supply chain shortages, rising material costs, tariffs, and labor challenges are making utility projects more expensive and timelines more unpredictable. The infographic (below) recently published by the NRECA RE Magazine highlights just how much prices for poles, wire, transformers, trucks, and other essentials have increased since 2020.

To help lessen the impact on our members, Four County is actively seeking out state and federal grants and applying for funding that can reduce the cost burden of upcoming infrastructure projects. One recent success is a $2.9 million grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) through the federal 40101(d) Grid Resilience Program to support the Four County STEEL project in Sampson County. This investment will modernize our transmission system, reduce costs passed on to members, and strengthen our grid for decades to come.

By planning ahead and securing outside resources, we are working to build a system that is stronger, more reliable, and ready for the future while continuing to protect our members’ bottom line.