The Quenett Creek Substation is expected to meet the increasing power demand east of Portland, Oregon, in several areas served by BPA
Image: Burns & McDonnell continues partnership with Bonneville Power Administration to provide power. Photo: Courtesy of Burns & McDonnell.
Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture and construction company, announced that it has completed the design and construction of the new Quenett Creek Substation for Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
The Quenett Creek Substation is designed to meet the increasing power demand east of Portland, Oregon, in several areas served by BPA.
BPA is a non-profit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 Northwest electric utilities, and serves customers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
Quenett Creek Substation is a 230kV greenfield project
Located near the Columbia River in The Dalles, Oregon, the new substation is a 230kV greenfield project that is expected to increase the electricity supply in rural and growing communities.
The projects serves areas along and near the Oregon-Washington border including Dalles, Cascade Locks, Durfur, Fossil, Hood River, Tygh Valley and others in Oregon, along with Dallesport, Goldendale, Lyle and others in southern Washington.
Burns & McDonnell senior vice president and general manager Mark Lichtwardt said: “We were honored to join forces with the BPA and our subcontractors to deliver a reliable energy system that will power businesses and homes within the community for years to come.
“From the early design phases to the final construction stages, the team worked around the clock to deliver a successful project on time and under budget, optimizing BPA’s electrical infrastructure system.”
Burns & McDonnell had broken the ground on the project in January 2018 and completed it in May 2019.
The company said that it has partnered with BPA, Henkels & McCoy, Cougar Construction and K&E Excavating to provide engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services for the project.
In addition, the project is aimed at accommodating the growing power demand of the Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District (NWCPUD), including a new customer-owned data centre.
Along with the Quenett Creek Substation, the Big Eddy substation near Columbia View Heights and the Chenoweth substation near Chenoweth Creek were also upgraded for interconnecting the grid.
In May, Burns & McDonnell announced the completion of start-up and commissioning of a new black start unit at the 700MW Carroll County Energy facility.