THE DALLES, Oregon — Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture and construction company, completed design and construction of the new Quenett Creek Substation to meet increasing power demand east of Portland, Oregon, in several areas served by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
The new 230kV substation, a greenfield project completed in May, is located near the Columbia River in The Dalles, Oregon. Quenett Creek increases the availability of electricity in rural and growing communities along and near the Oregon-Washington border: The Dalles, Cascade Locks, Durfur, Fossil, Hood River, Tygh Valley and others in Oregon, along with Dallesport, Goldendale, Lyle and others in southern Washington.
Breaking ground on the project in January 2018, Burns & McDonnell partnered with BPA, Henkels & McCoy, Cougar Construction and K&E Excavating to provide engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services to accommodate the growing power demand of the Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District (NWCPUD), including a new customer-owned data center.
“We were honored to join forces with the BPA and our subcontractors to deliver a reliable energy system that will power businesses and homes within the community for years to come,” says Mark Lichtwardt, senior vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon. “From the early design phases to the final construction stages, the team worked around the clock to deliver a successful project on time and under budget, optimizing BPA’s electrical infrastructure system.”
In addition, upgrades to the Big Eddy substation near Columbia View Heights and the Chenoweth substation near Chenoweth Creek were completed for interconnecting the grid. With a commitment to safety, Burns & McDonnell reported zero incidents during the 70,000-hour project.
Burns & McDonnell has successfully managed more than 500 projects in the region and is the No. 1 ranked firm in Power by Engineering News-Record.