Substations

Distribution substations are an important part of the electrical system that provides sustainable, reliable power to customers throughout Chelan County. Substations reduce high-voltage electricity (transmission) to low-voltage electricity (distribution) for residential and commercial use. The PUD has 35 distribution substations located strategically throughout our service territory – in rural, commercial, and residential areas. A substation typically serves approximately 1,500 residential homes.

Responding to Growth

As energy demand grows, the PUD needs to build new infrastructure to serve that growth. Learn more about growth forecasting and infrastructure planning here.

Generally, we will identify the need for a new substation when the existing substation serving an area approaches 80% capacity. Once the need for a new substation is identified, it can take from 3 – 5 years to site, design and construct the facility so it can serve the growing power demands.

Funding Growth

In 2022, Chelan PUD implemented a system impact fee to new electrical connections. The system impact fee is designed to offset the cost of constructing new infrastructure, like substations, to serve growth in Chelan County while keeping rates low for existing customers. Learn more here.

Community Involvement

The PUD is committed to involving the public in the substation siting and construction process. Outreach and engagement activities include PUD Commission meetings, community meetings, stakeholder advisory groups, and online or print materials. If you have a question about the substation program, please reach out at customeroutreach@chelanpud.org.

A Chelan PUD Substation

How the PUD sites and constructs new substations

- Chelan PUD uses growth forecasting, planning standards, and long-range planning to predict how much and where electrical load growth will occur so we can build the necessary infrastructure (like substations) to serve this growth. Learn more about forecasting here.
- These plans to accommodate growth may include a combination of siting and building new substations and replacing or upgrading existing infrastructure.
- Currently, the PUD is planning for fifteen new substations over the next 10 to 20 years, but the timing or priority may shift as changing conditions update our forecasts.
- Generally, our planning will identify the need for a new substation when the existing substation serving an area approaches 80% capacity.
- During this phase, staff will conduct preliminary research to determine whether there is feasible, underdeveloped land located near the center of the electrical load, and ideally close to an existing transmission line.
- We will coordinate with municipalities, the County, or other agencies depending on the location where the substation is needed.
- The PUD seeks willing sellers for substation properties, so staff may have preliminary conversations with property owners during this phase to determine whether a property is available at a reasonable cost and is generally feasible for constructing a substation.
- Once preliminary sites are identified, the PUD will seek community input, and perform more robust site analysis, to evaluate the sites in more detail.
- In this phase, stakeholders can provide the PUD with feedback on community values, and will help evaluate site selection criteria like aesthetics, surrounding built and natural environment, and potential mitigation.
- PUD engineers will further refine and evaluate site selection criteria like constructability, system requirements, site security and other technical aspects.
- This phase may also include a discussion around siting new transmission lines, depending on the location of sites under evaluation.
- Community input and engineering analysis will be used to select a preferred site for the new substation.
- During the design phase, engineers will refine details like site grading, access, and the footprint and orientation of the substation on the property.
- We will continue to involve the community in developing aesthetic improvements such as landscaping, or other project mitigation as identified in the Site Selection phase.
- The design phase may also include the design of new transmission lines, depending on the location of the site selected.
- The design phase will include the design of the distribution feeders that will leave the new substation to serve customers.
- Now it's time to build the substation!
- We will continue to communicate with neighbors and the community to explain any construction impacts.
- Once construction is complete, the new substation is tested and energized, and crews will begin transferring customers to the new substation.
- The substation will provide safe and reliable electrical service to new and existing customers in the area.

Learn more about current substation projects:

Map of existing and projected future substations for Chelan County PUD

Questions?

Email us at customeroutreach@chelanpud.org.

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