Transmission Project Earns Chamber Award

The Elkins-Wyola-Combs Transmission Line Project replaced 22 miles of a 50-year-old wooden transmission system with modern steel structures integrated with fiber optics. (Photo by Donald Pinkley.)

Ozarks Electric was recently presented with the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Excellence and Regional Impact Award. The award highlighted Ozarks’ Elkins-Wyola-Combs Transmission Line Project, a modernization of 22 miles of high-voltage transmission line across some of the most challenging terrain in the region. 

The multi-year project replaced a half-century-old wooden transmission system with modern steel structures integrated with fiber optics, delivering lasting reliability, connectivity and economic opportunity to some of the state’s most underserved communities. 

Poles Custom Designed for Rugged Landscape

Spanning from east Fayetteville through Elkins, Wyola, Hazel Valley, Sunset and Combs, crews faced steep ridges, landslides and terrain so remote that access was often possible only by foot. Every pole was custom designed for the rugged landscape using helicopter-mounted lidar (light detection and ranging) technology and precision engineering.

Construction was under the guidance of Donald Pinkley, a 40-year veteran of Ozarks Electric, and emphasized sustainability and long-term access. Crews built permanent maintenance roads, protected wildlife habitats and completed the project safely and without major delays, despite challenging conditions. 

This recognition honors Ozarks’ commitment to innovation, resilience and community-focused progress across Northwest Arkansas. 

Accepting the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Excellence and Regional Impact Award were, from left: Justin Northcutt, Ozarks Electric; Shiloh Burchfield, Allgeier, Martin and Associates; Robert Erickson and Donald Pinkley, both of Ozarks Electric; Jon Steel and Ben Draper, both of Capital Electric Construction Co. (Photo by Alex Boyd.)