CH2M HILL, a global full-service consulting, design construction and operations firm, has received a contract from Tres Amigas LLC, a merchant transmission company, to provide program management services for building the Tres Amigas SuperStation in Clovis, New Mexico, U.S. Once completed, the SuperStation will tie together America's three power grids for the first time ever.

Construction of the SuperStation is projected to commence in 2012 and be completed in 2014. Under the terms of the contract, CH2M HILL will provide overall program management services and logistical support to ensure that the project remains on schedule.

“The Tres Amigas SuperStation will offer multiple benefits to power consumers and energy producers across North America, including savings projected in the hundreds of millions of dollars due to the more economic dispatch of electric power. Tres Amigas will also increase the value of several large transmission projects planned for the Southwest and will support the expansion of a reliable national corridor system,” said Phil Harris, CEO and founder of Tres Amigas.

The SuperStation project site in Clovis is at the intersection of the nation's three grids: the Eastern Interconnection, Western Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection. At the heart of the project are (HVDC) superconductor cables, which are, in essence, superconductor electricity “pipelines.” These pipelines combine conventional underground pipeline construction techniques with two highly complementary electric power technologies: HVDC superconductor power transmission cables and multi-terminal (voltage-source) AC/DC power converters. The result is a high-capacity, expandable electric transmission pipeline that is underground, easy to site and access, highly efficient and controllable, offers greater security and avoids complex cost-allocation issues for interstate transmission.

For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com or www.tresamigasllc.com.