Umatilla Electric’s wholesale power supplier, Bonneville Power Administration, is investing millions to build and improve substations and associated transmission lines in Northeast Oregon. The work involves BPA substations at Boardman and McNary that supply power to UEC’s system in northern Morrow and western Umatilla counties.
These upgrades will help UEC serve its rapidly expanding demand for energy. They will improve and strengthen a safe and reliable power delivery system.
To accommodate BPA as these improvements go into service, UEC will be doing switching of its electrical loads on its 115-kilovolt transmission system from late October through late November of this year.
UEC anticipates little if any impact to its members, nor to Hermiston Energy Service customers, and no power outages are planned because of this work. If an outage occurs, UEC will keep UEC members and HES customers informed as power is restored.
Background Information on BPA Substation Improvements
BPA McNary Substation
Improvements at BPA’s McNary Substation are under way. Initial work to install the 230/115 kV transformer will support the significant industrial load growth in UEC’s service territory and the second phase (the 500/230 kV transformer) has broader benefits for BPA’s high-voltage grid. Additional transformer capacity will prevent equipment overloading, making it easier to move power in the area. This phase will also allow for better resource integration and will support a safe and reliable transmission system. BPA anticipates very little impact to those living in the area, and no power outages are anticipated because of this work.
BPA Morrow Flat Substation
BPA is constructing a new 230/115-kilovolt (kV) Morrow Flat Substation approximately 1.5 miles east of Boardman. The project will help serve increased energy demand from existing development, food processing plants, and new data centers in the Boardman area. The 17.5-acre substation is located in an area zoned for industry adjacent to the existing BPA transmission lines. BPA’s McNary-Boardman and McNary-Jones Canyon 230-kV transmission lines will be connected to the substation and will require some improvements.
