Richland Substation to Stevens Drive Transmission Line Rebuild Project

Benton County, WA

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) decided to rebuild an approximately three-mile-long segment of the White Bluffs to Richland No. 1 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Richland Substation north to Stevens Drive Substation within the City of Richland, Washington. The rebuild is necessary to ensure unplanned outages in the Tri-Cities area are less likely to occur. Over the past several years, the BPA transmission system has experienced many unplanned outages on the Richland – Stevens Drive 115 kV line. Six of these outages were resolved by dispatchers who were able to remotely reclose breakers to restore service without investigation or repairs. Five of these outages occurred during peak loading periods in the spring and summer. If BPA takes no action, these outages could increase in frequency and result in longer, more widespread power interruptions to customers in the area.

The project is needed as BPA has obligations to ensure that its transmission system is safe, reliable, and has sufficient capability to serve its customers and prevent overloading under certain outage conditions of other transmission lines. Between Richland and Stevens Drive substations, the existing transmission line is a single-circuit line consisting of wood H-frame and monopole structures. The existing line will be rebuilt as a 115-kV double-circuit transmission line (i.e., two transmission lines on the same structure) on steel monopole structures. Along the existing transmission line corridor, the work would include replacing all existing conductor, H-frame wood pole structures, wood monopoles, selected steel structures, and hardware. Rebuilding the transmission line would also require equipment upgrades at BPA’s Richland Substation and White Bluffs Substation, and city of Richland’s Thayer Drive, Stevens Drive, and First Street substations.

To facilitate the removal of the existing White Bluffs to Richland No. 1 transmission line, the proposed work would take place at the substations and each structure located along the transmission line. The design of new steel monopoles versus wood-pole transmission line would reduce the total number of structures along the transmission line corridor. Some structures would be installed in the same place as the existing transmission structures; however, alternative locations would be required to accommodate new steel monopoles. All structures, regardless of their placement, would be expected to remain in the existing established transmission line right-of-way (ROW) or additional easement would be obtained.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW & CURRENT STATUS

BPA prepared a categorical exclusion (CX) documenting that the project would not cause significant environmental impacts. BPA solicited public comments to help inform the environmental review in March and April 2023. The CX analysis was informed by the comments and evaluated potential environmental effects of the project as well as identified minimization measures to reduce environmental impacts. Based on the CX analysis and minimization measures to help lessen impacts, BPA concluded that the project is categorically excluded from further NEPA review.
 

CONTACT

For environmental information, contact:
Christopher Furey        
Environmental Protection Specialist
Bonneville Power Administration - ECT-4          
PO Box 3621 Portland, Oregon 97208-3621
Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Direct line: 503-230-3371
E-mail: chfurey@bpa.gov 

 

DOCUMENTS

SCOPING
Scoping comments received
Public Letter  (March 24, 2023)
Project Map (March 24, 2023)
Comment Form  (March 24, 2023)
Fact sheet  (April 10. 2023)