Many years ago the Pacific Power and Light (PP&L), now Pacific Power, had a problem with ice building up on the power cables which supplied their customers in the Cascade Mountains. During the autumn and spring the build up of ice on the cables could over stress the lines causing them to break. The normal solution was for a linesman to climb the towers and shake the power line. It was a very dangerous job with a high chance of the linesman falling off the towers.

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There had been many attempts to come up with a solution but the company was struggling, so they assembled a team to brain storm.  Hours passed.  Out of frustration, one person suggested that training the bears to climb the poles to shake the ice off the lines. Ideas followed about how they could be tempted with pots of honey placed on top of the poles.  One of the more senior, more sarcastic linemen said, ‘You know all those fancy helicopters those fat cats in the front office fly around in all the time? Why don’t we grab one of those and fly from pole to pole placing the honey pots on top just after an ice storm.’

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Then another person spoke for the first time. 'I wonder if we just flew the helicopter over the power lines at low altitude, would the down wash from those blades be sufficient to shake the lines and knock the ice off?’

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This time there was no laughter - just silence. She had come up with an answer. By valuing divergent opinions the group to come up with a possible solution to a problem all wanted solved.

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Team 1498's members value ingenuity, creativity, and dedication.  We'd love to hear

your ideas to.  Come join the team.