Location: Elm Avenue, Hermiston, OR
Due to aging infrastructure and the growing energy needs of the Hermiston area, Umatilla Electric Cooperative will be rebuilding 17 miles of existing 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. The construction will begin near I-82 west of Hermiston and will head east along Elm Avenue to South Edwards Road, outside of Hermiston.
Anticipated Construction Schedule
Start Date: May 2022
Completion Date: June 2025
Why Rebuild The Existing Transmission Line?
The segments set for improvement have served our membership for many years. These lines predominately serve residential and agricultural loads, which continue to experience growth. In order to continue to provide reliable, cost effective power while supporting this growth long into the future, UEC needs to rebuild these line segments.
The rebuild of this portion of transmission lines includes replacing the current poles with 10 – 20 ft. taller, weathered steel poles. In addition to the transmission lines, we may install our distribution underground in some areas.
While we are investing in upgrades to meet the community’s growing energy demands, we wish to work closely with our neighbors to ensure that all improvements are performed safely, and with as minimal disruption to the environment and the communities we serve as possible.
UEC’s Commitment to Our Membership
Transmission lines are high-voltage lines that carry electricity from generation plants to substations, or from substation to substation.
By replacing the existing line, UEC will be improving the reliability and resiliency of the transmission system in the Hermiston area. These improvements ensure that UEC can provide reliable power long into the future.
Benefits and Value Carefully Considered
During the construction stage, several vehicles will be involved in the process, which may mean reduced traffic speeds and possible congestion in the area.
Most of the work will be conducted without the need to interrupt power. In some instances, an outage of one hour or more may be needed to safely transfer power to the new lines. Affected members
will be notified in advance of a planned outage.
