PAR, through its foundations construction division Longfellow Drilling, was selected as part of an EPC team to construct the Aeolus–Jim Bridger 500 kV/345 kV Transmission Line.
Crews constructed 2,072 drilled pier lattice tower foundations, 21 drilled pier steel pole foundations, and 26 direct embed H-Frames drilled and bases set for the project, which traversed across 138 miles of Wyoming right-of-way. Varying terrain, geology, and extreme seasonal weather conditions required the use of multiple drill rig types and specialty equipment. The remoteness of the project required the use of mobile concrete batch plants and coordination of several concrete hauling services.
Quanta provided engineering, procurement and construction solutions for the Aeolus-Jim Bridger Transmission Line Project. The project, which consists of about 138 miles of single-circuit, 500-kV transmission line and about five miles of single-circuit, 345-kV transmission line.
The project is a segment of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project, which is part of PacifiCorp’s $3.5bn Energy Vision 2020 plan that is expected to add more than 1,000 MW of wind generation and upgrade existing wind generation facilities in Wyoming.
The 500-kV line connects the new Aeolus substation near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, to the new Anticline substation located near Point of Rocks, Wyoming, while the 345-kV line connects the Anticline substation to a new line termination bay at the Jim Bridger Generating Station substation. The project is a segment of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project.
MidAmerican Energy awarded PAR the Multi-Value Project 7 (MVP-7).
This project allowed PAR to support MidAmerican Energy’s comprehensive long-term regional plan for the Midwest electric grid that will bring more than $2 billion in annual benefits to energy consumers throughout the Midwest. PAR’s long standing relationship with MidAmerican Energy and its decades of experience resulted in its selection to provided complete engineering, procurement, and construction of approximately 29 miles of 345 kV and rebuild of the existing 161 kV and 69 kV transmission lines. The existing 69 kV line was rebuilt as a double circuit 345 kV/69 kV and the 161 kV line was rebuilt as a double circuit 345 kV/161 kV transmission line, both on tubular steel monopole structures set on reinforced concreted pier foundations.
The poles are made of self-weathering steel and do not require painting or periodic maintenance. The height of the single-circuit structures will be approximately 100 to 120 feet. The height of the double-circuit structures will be approximately 120 to 150 feet and the span length will be approximately 1,000 to 1,100 feet. Existing 161-kV line poles are approximately 660 feet.
PAR’s participation in this plan will help improve system reliability, relieve existing transmission congestion, improve utilization of existing, generation, lower the cost of delivered energy, optimize wind generation placement, and allow for the regional delivery of renewable generation.
Just outside of San Bernardino County, the Falcon Ridge Substation is supporting the rapid growth in the cities of Fontana and Rialto, and surrounding areas such as Rancho Cucamonga and Devore.
The substation is a 66 kV/12 kV greenfield (EPC) substation project that required the installation of all associated circuit breakers, operating and transfer bus, transformers and all associated foundations, cable trench, conduit, ground grid and telecom conduit for a complete substation. PAR also integrated a control building used for protection and telecom equipment. PAR provided initial grading and final rocking and paving of the substation as well as installed perimeter fencing and associated gates.
The project included a greenfield 66 kV/12 kV substation, 12 miles of new 66 kV sub-transmission lines, multiple freeway crossings, two underground sections including a 26-foot deep jack bore, and new access roads. A key safety concern was mitigating the high amount of induction caused by constructing in proximity to an energized 500 kV line. The Falcon Ridge EPC Project included many complex requirements: execution of complex substation work; managing a large team and changing owner requirements; adhering to contractual cost and schedule commitments; and performing the work safely. The EPC project also included the management of a large team including QA/QC, engineering, environmental, construction, safety, and project controls staff.
PAR was able to successfully complete this project on schedule and safely in support of this region’s growing demand for power.
With more than six decades of experience in distribution construction and maintenance as well as emergency response, PAR was called on by Lassen Municipal Utility District (LMUD) to restore power after the devastating Whaleback fire.
The Lassen National Forest and Bureau of Land Management reopened grounds after fire crews contained the Whaleback Fire that consumed more than 18,000 acres.
PAR crews reconstructed existing overhead 15 kV lines destroyed by the fire and pulled and installed new underground 15 kV along a new route via county road 1A near Eagle Lake, north of Susanville, CA, for LMUD. The installed infrastructure is 1W6″ Conduit with above grade owner provided junction enclosures. PAR continued to provide extensive 12 kV services in support of LMUD’s system in California including all aspects of overhead and underground distribution work. As a result of PAR’s emergency response and reconstruction efforts, LMUD was able to restore service to its customers.
