Archive for the 'Transmission' Category

Board approves Nebraska line upgrade

Published on May 16, 2012 in General and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

Late this year, Tri-State will begin rebuilding the 15-mile, Ogallala-Roscoe-Elsie Tap line in western Nebraska.

At Tri-State’s monthly board meeting held last week in Westminster, directors authorized the association’s staff to execute contracts to upgrade the 15-mile, 115-kilovolt Ogallala-Roscoe-Elsie Tap transmission line in Keith County, Neb., to accommodate load growth and future electrical needs of the region served by Tri-State member Midwest Electric (Grant, Neb.).

Construction of the project is scheduled to begin before year-end and take approximately four months to complete. The scope of the work will be to remove the original line, which was constructed in the late 1960s, and rebuild it with new structures and a larger conductor.

The new conductor will have a higher thermal rating to provide increased electrical capacity and system reliability that is particularly vital during the summertime irrigation season. The existing 115-kV voltage of the line will remain the same.

The upgraded line will also be equipped with a new overhead optical ground wire that will provide operational communications between the substations on each end of the line.

Final phase ramps up on Nucla-Sunshine project

Published on May 14, 2012 in General and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

With a little cooperation from Mother Nature, construction on one of the Rocky Mountain region’s highest transmission line projects should wrap up this fall – bringing a greatly improved level of electric service reliability to avalanche-prone areas near Telluride, Colo., and several other communities in the southwestern part of the state.

Conductor is pulled through overhead line structures as work continues for the third and final year of construction on the Nucla-Sunshine project.

Construction of the Nucla-Sunshine 115-kilovolt, 51-mile transmission line began in the spring of 2010. It is being built around some steep forested mountains, across canyons, high alpine meadows and rugged high altitude terrain that is only accessible to construction crews and equipment between April and October, when mountain snows subside.

In addition to the construction challenges brought by the weather and topography, another unique aspect of this project is that a total of 10 miles of the line will be buried underground on Wilson and Specie mesas to satisfy local landowner concerns.

The new line replaces a more than 60-year-old, 69-kV line owned by Tri-State member San Miguel Power Association (Nucla, Colo.). This line was no longer adequate to serve the electrical requirements of Telluride in the event that its primary 115-kV line failed due to avalanche or other extreme weather events.

Tri-State transmission line upgrade complete, energized

Published on April 19, 2012 in Resource Planning and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The association's Big Sandy-Lincoln-Midway transmission line is back in service after being reconstructed to better withstand storms and wind prevalent to the area.

The association’s upgrade of its 79-mile, 230-kilovolt Big Sandy-Lincoln-Midway transmission line was recently completed and the eastern and southern Colorado power path was energized last week in time for the springtime irrigation loads that rely on its service to this largely agricultural region served by Tri-State member Mountain View Electric Association (Limon, Colo.).

During this project, approximately 56 miles of the line was upgraded from its original 1977 design. The remaining 23 miles of line was upgraded during the past five years after a series of storms damaged some of the 35-year-old structures supporting the line.

The upgraded power path also carries a new overhead optical ground wire to facilitate the G&T’s continuing efforts to improve its telecommunications system network.

The line rebuild included installation of improved transmission line structures that are designed to better withstand adverse weather conditions in this storm-prone area of the state.

Big Sandy Substation is located northeast of Limon, Colo. The line then extends south to Lincoln Substation, which is located near Tri-State’s Limon Generating Station. From that point, the line is strung along a 50-mile path to Midway Substation, located south of Fountain, Colo.

‘Spring training’ underway for G&T’s maintenance crews

Published on April 2, 2012 in General and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This spring the operative word is “training” for the 173 Tri-Staters comprising the association’s south, west and east maintenance regions that service the G&T’s vast, four-state network of transmission lines, substations and telecommunications sites.

A confined space simulator was added to this year's Competency Week training, which is ongoing through May 9.

Orchestrated by Wayne Martin, Tri-State’s training coordinator is tasked with organizing and scheduling the annual Competency Week multi-location event. This year, the program consists of a series of three-day training windows that kicked off on March 12 at the Rio Rancho, N.M., field facility and will close out on May 9 at the Montrose, Colo., maintenance center.

The training classes are conducted by a total of eight Tri-State and contracted trainers, who provide specialized instruction for each of Tri-State’s transmission, substation and telecommunications personnel. Logistically speaking, that’s no small feat considering the geography of Tri-State’s maintenance crews, which are stationed at field offices across the four-state service area. Continue reading ‘‘Spring training’ underway for G&T’s maintenance crews’

Public outreach meetings held for Burlington-Wray line

Published on March 12, 2012 in Public Meetings and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

Last week, Tri-State staff from public affairs, land rights, transmission engineering and the GIS group hit the road to eastern Colorado to hold public outreach meetings with local landowners, county commissioners, community leaders and other interested parties to discuss the association’s proposed 230-kilovolt transmission line between the towns of Burlington and Wray.

Local landowners check out maps of the proposed routing for the Burlington to Wray transmission project at public meetings held last week in eastern Colorado.

The meetings, held at the Burlington Community Center on March 6 and the Wray Roundhouse on March 7, attracted about 60 attendees at each venue.

“The existing transmission system in this area is strained as a result of increased electricity demand and new generation resources, so the project is clearly needed,” said Drew Kramer, Tri-State’s public affairs manager. “At the same time, public input is a critical and ongoing part of this project because there are several proposed route segments, and we want to minimize the impact on landowners and accommodate their concerns to the degree possible,” he said.

While no formal presentations were provided at the meetings, the open house format provided the meeting attendees with opportunities to view the proposed route segments on detailed maps and, with the help of Tri-State’s GIS group, landowners could even look at a custom map of their specific properties in relation to the various proposed line corridors.

The next step in the proposed project will be route refinement meetings, which are likely to be held this summer. The new line is expected to be constructed in 2014 and energized near the end of 2015.

Tri-State transmission line upgrade nears completion

Published on March 2, 2012 in Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

Tri-State contractor, Wasatch Electric Power, is expected to complete its reconstruction of the Big Sandy-Lincoln-Midway transmission line in southeast Colorado by April 1.

The 35-year-old, 79-mile long Tri-State Big Sandy-Lincoln to Midway, 230-kilovolt transmission line in eastern and southern Colorado is in the final phase of a major upgrade that is slated for completion by April 1. Several segments of the line (totaling about 23 miles) were reconstructed during the past five years following severe storms that took the line out of service for up to eight weeks.

The remaining 56 miles of line was unimproved from its original 1977 design and was vulnerable to continued reliability risks in a storm prone region of the state.  The line rebuild included installation of improved transmission line structures that should better withstand severe weather events in the area.

This project was implemented to bring the entire transmission line up to current design standards, increase reliability and decrease economic risk of losing entire sections of the line. The upgraded power path also carries a new overhead optical ground wire to facilitate the G&T’s continuing efforts to improve its network telecommunications systems.

Big Sandy Substation is located northeast of Limon, Colo. The line then travels south to Lincoln Substation, which is located near Tri-State’s Limon Generating Station. From there, the line extends southwest for about 50 miles to Midway Substation, located south of Fountain, Colo.

The southeast Colorado power line is critical to serving member co-op Mountain View Electric’s irrigation consumers during the spring and summer growing seasons.

10-year transmission plan filed with Public Utilities Commission

Published on February 7, 2012 in General, Public Meetings, Public Outreach, Resource Planning and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

On Feb. 1 Tri-State filed its first 10-year transmission planning document with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in compliance with CPUC Rule 3627. In support of that filing, and in an effort to update the public and interested parties on the association’s future transmission projects, an extensive revamping of the transmission planning section of Tri-State’s Web site has been completed.

The first ever filing for the PUC Rule 3627 was the culmination of an extensive planning process, mainly by the system planning, transmission engineering and the public affairs groups. Several stakeholder outreach meetings were held in 2011 to engage interested parties, followed by a comment period for people to provide their input on various projects that are on the association’s 10-year planning horizon.

“Through the eyes of the PUC, the purpose of the filing is so that stakeholders – including elected officials, county commissioners and city administrators – are engaged early and often in the transmission planning process,” said Sarah Carlisle, public affairs coordinator. “Since other utilities in the state must also file under this rule, it also may provide the commission with an opportunity to identify mutually beneficial projects in which utilities might partner and provide economic benefits to electric consumers in Colorado.”

G&T’s largest aerial platform truck delivered

Published on January 19, 2012 in General and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: .

 

Tri-State’s largest aerial platform truck to date was delivered at the NCMC on Jan. 19.

It has been said that you need the proper tools to get the job done and this particular piece of equipment – a Bronto aerial platform truck delivered yesterday at the Northern Colorado Maintenance Center – certainly qualifies as an important tool in helping Tri-State’s maintenance personnel efficiently service the association’s transmission network.

This new unit replaces an aerial platform truck that encountered a main cylinder failure and several other serious reliability problems in 2010. The Bronto is the largest platform truck in Tri-State’s maintenance fleet, with a working aerial reach of nearly 170 feet, according to Greg Britton, transmission maintenance manager for Tri-State’s east side group.  “The new truck will be utilized throughout the four-state service territory.  Its higher reach will allow us to access some areas of the system that were previously serviced using helicopters or other equipment that required more time to get the job done,” he said.

The new addition to the maintenance fleet will be initially pressed into service in Tri-State’s east side region during the next several weeks. During that period the truck will be stored at the Cheyenne field office. After that, it will be sited at the Montrose field office.

The truck is powered by a turbo-charged diesel engine. It is equipped with dual front and dual rear steering axles, which allow it to turn in a 32-foot radius.  The Bronto’s overall length is 44 feet and with a transport width of just 8 and-a-half feet this rig can essentially be driven to any work site in Tri-State’s service territory.

Tri-State’s board of directors authorized the purchase of the line maintenance vehicle in February 2011.

Tri-State to assess options for SoCo transmission infrastructure

Published on November 1, 2011 in General and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Tri-State will move forward to identify options to ensure electric system reliability following Xcel Energy’s reconsideration of its participation in a joint transmission project with the association in southern Colorado.  Xcel announced yesterday that factors affecting its resource needs require the utility to reconsider its participation in the Southern Colorado Transmission Improvements Project.

Tri-State and Xcel have been developing the project, which was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and would meet Tri-State’s reliability requirements and Xcel’s renewable energy requirements.

“The need for reliable electric service across the San Luis Valley, south-central Colorado and northern New Mexico has not changed,” said Joel Bladow, Tri-State’s senior vice president of transmission. “Tri-State will examine all options to ensure reliable power for the region; it is premature to eliminate any options without further investigation.” Continue reading ‘Tri-State to assess options for SoCo transmission infrastructure’

Tri-State hosts public outreach events for proposed transmission projects

Published on November 1, 2011 in Public Meetings and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Tri-State employees from the environmental, land, transmission engineering and public affairs groups put in a lot of windshield time this fall to publicize a number of planned transmission projects in Colorado. The group has hosted public outreach events in eastern Colorado’s Washington, Weld and Adams counties for three proposed projects.

Burdett-North Yuma 115-kV Transmission Project

An open house held on Sept. 29 in Washington County for the Burdett-North Yuma 115-kV Transmission Project attracted a number of attendees from the area. The proposed line will support increased natural gas production in Colorado by servicing the planned Burdett Pump Station, to be built by the Overland Pass Pipeline Company in Washington County.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2012 and be complete that fall. The proposed line would connect the pump station to the existing North Yuma Substation. Partners for the project include the Overland Pass Pipeline, Tri-State and member  system Highline Electric Association (Holyoke, Colo.), which will electrically serve the planned Burdett Pump Station.

The next step for the Burdett-North Yuma project is to obtain land use permits from Washington and Yuma counties.

“We’re targeting to file the land use permit application in early December, in time for the December 19 planning commission meeting in Washington County,” said Sarah Carlisle, public affairs coordinator. “The public is invited to the planning commission meeting, during which we will announce the preferred line route.” Continue reading ‘Tri-State hosts public outreach events for proposed transmission projects’