Projects

Hermiston Office Expansion

Hermiston, OR

After many years of significant growth, UEC has reached capacity for staff at the Elm Avenue location in Hermiston. Since 2018, UEC has added over 40 employees to support the operations of the cooperative’s membership. In order to support projected continued growth, the UEC Board of Directors reviewed and considered options for adding staff capacity, ultimately supporting an expansion of the Headquarters office in Hermiston.

Elm Avenue Line Rebuild

Hermiston, OR

UEC will be rebuilding 17 miles of aging transmission line along Elm Avenue. The rebuild will ensure that members will experience safe and reliable power for years to come, and will aid in shorter outage restoration times to individuals in the area.

Umatilla-Morrow County Connect Project

Hermiston, OR

The Umatilla-Morrow County Connect (UMCC) Project will provide transmission system interconnection between Umatilla and Morrow counties. This interconnection will expand UEC’s 230 kV transmission system to increase reliability and capacity, support economic development and regional growth and provide a transmission path for renewable energy across the region.

Kelli Boulevard Substation

Hermiston, OR

The Kelli Boulevard Substation is now under construction and will support industrial growth in the South Hermiston Industrial Park (SHIP). The substation will support anticipated industrial and commercial growth, fostering the economic development within Umatilla and Morrow counties.

Rockpile Switchyard

Umatilla, OR

UEC is building a new substation on Powerline Road, south of Umatilla. This substation will support growth in the region. The new switchyard will ensure safe and reliable power for years to come.

Upgrade Meter Change-out

System Wide

New automated meters to help improve our electric distribution system are being deployed across UEC’s service territory. UEC contractor, Allegiant Utility Services technicians will replace existing digital meters. During meter installations, disruption to members should be minimal.

Wanapa Substation

Boardman, OR

The newly-built Wanapa substation in Boardman supports economic development growth in the region. This

Line Rebuild: Columbia to Foster West

Hermiston, OR

Lines east of Hermiston, from UEC’s Columbia to Foster West Substations, are being replaced. These improvements will allow UEC to better serve members in the region. This project will increase load growth capacity as the Hermiston area continues to grow.

Aerial Drone Inspections

System Wide

With over 2,300 miles of energized line across a nearly 2,000-square-miles, UEC now uses drones to help discover deficiencies along the electrical system during inspections.

Recloser Installation Project

Weston Mountain Service Area

This multi-year project, installing an updated version of a “recloser” and related communications equipment designed to make the system more efficient and reliant.

Vegetation Management

System Wide

Every year, UEC crews trim thousands of trees, clear vegetation and shred underbrush beneath power lines in high density areas to minimize the likelihood of safety hazards and power outages.

Completed Projects:

Irrigon South Substation

Irrigon, OR

The UEC team successfully commissioned the newly rebuilt Irrigon South Substation on Aug. 28, the third substation to be energized in 2023. The rebuilt substation is closer to the city of Irrigon, providing increased capacity and capability of the UEC system.

Wagon Wheel Substation

Boardman, OR

The UEC team successfully commissioned the newly constructed Wagon Wheel Substation on Sept. 25, the fourth substation to be energized in 2023. The transmission integration into the Wagon Wheel substation increases capacity and capability of the UEC system, providing necessary infrastructure for economic development in the region.

Wilson Lane Improvement Project

Boardman, OR

UEC replaced 43 aging poles and approximately 1.8 miles of line along Wilson Lane in south Boardman, between the intersections of Olson road and Paul Smith road. The project is slated to began in March of 2022 and was completed June 2023.

Power City Substation Expansion

Power City, OR

The expansion of the Power City Substation will aid in the continued, dependable electric service for nearly 900 members in the Umatilla and Hermiston areas. The project will expand the high side of the existing substation to allow for 115kV transmission lines to flow in and out of the substation, tying into UEC’s existing 115kV facilities.

Weston Mountain Substation Rebuild

Weston Mountain, OR

At 53 years old, the existing Weston Mountain Substation currently operates with the single oldest transformer on UEC’s system. By rebuilding the Weston Mountain Substation, UEC can be proactive in reducing the risk of equipment failures and member outages, ensuring reliability and resiliency for years to come.

Columbia Substation Rebuild

Hermiston, OR

Columbia Substation previously ran on a single, 48 year old, substation transformer which is functioned at its maximum capacity. Replacing antiquated infrastructure has reduced the risk of equipment failure and member outages.