Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Ozarks Electric was presented with the Chamber Fayetteville’s Infrastructure Excellence & Regional Impact Award Tuesday night at the chamber’s Construction and Developer’s Award Banquet. The award highlighted Ozarks’ Elkins-Wyola-Combs Transmission Line Project, a transformative modernization of 22 miles of high-voltage transmission line across some of the most challenging terrain in the region. This recognition honors Ozarks’ commitment to innovation, resilience and community-focused progress across Northwest Arkansas.
From left: Justin Northcutt of Ozarks Electric, Shiloh Burchfield of Allgeier Martin and Associates Inc., Robert Erickson and Donald Pinkley of Ozarks Electric and Jon Steele and Ben Draper with Capital Electric.
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.
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. Using helicopter-mounted LiDAR and precision engineering, every pole was custom designed for the rugged landscape.
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.
Today, the new line is energized and delivers a stronger, resilient electric grid and modern fiber connectivity to serve thousands of Ozarks Electric members for decades to come. This award reflects the dedication of every employee involved in this project whose work is always to support our mission to serve our members by providing safe, reliable and affordable power every single day.