NPPD Plans Major Transmission Upgrades in Nebraska

Aug 14, 2009 12:41 AM

POWER Engineers, an Idaho-based consulting firm, has started work on a series of transmission upgrade projects for Nebraska Public Power District, headquartered in Columbus, NE, with an estimated engineering price tag of approximately $23.3 million and a projected construction cost of approximately $200 million.

NPPD plans to build more than 140 mi of 345-kV and 115-kV transmission lines in locations around the state to connect new crude oil pumping stations, interconnect proposed wind farms, and continue to maintain reliability in NPPD’s system.

“We are currently in a rapidly evolving energy environment,” said Ed Wagner, NPPD’s vice president of customer services. “To ensure the continued reliable delivery of electric power to our customers, both wholesale and retail, and to meet regional high-voltage transmission grid requirements, we must have the appropriate resources available.”

The projects include two 115-kV transmission lines totaling approximately 15 mi to continue to provide system reliability and support economic growth in South Sioux City, Nebraska; the 40-mi Nebraska portion of an 185-mi 345-kV transmission line running between Axtell, NE, and Spearville, KS, to strengthen the regional 345 kV transmission grid; 70 mi of 115-kV transmission lines in various locations in central and north-central Nebraska to power a series of new, crude oil pumping stations associated with the TransCanada Keystone XL crude oil pipeline; and approximately 15 mi of 115-kV transmission line to support proposed wind farms in Nebraska.

“POWER has a long history with NPPD,” said Bill Eisinger, POWER Engineers executive vice president and T&D division manager. “We appreciate the opportunity to support them again on these critical transmission projects and to help improve the security and reliability of the power delivery system in this region of the U.S.”

NPPD selected POWER Engineers to provide routing, surveying, permitting, engineering, right of way acquisition and construction management, which are scheduled to be completed by summer of 2012.

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