Thursday, March 28, 2024

Okanogan PUD to link Pateros-Twisp line to Twisp substation

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OKANOGAN – PUD crews installed a temporary shoo-fly connection between the Loup Loup transmission line and the Winthrop substation during a brief power outage earlier this month to serve the Okanogan County Electric Co-op, a PUD media release said.

The PUD continues to work on the new Pateros-to-Twisp transmission line and anticipates completion of that power source to the Twisp and Winthrop substations early in August so the Okanogan Co-op can also be served by that route. Once all the connections are completed the power loop will provide dual sources of power from the Loup Loup line and the Pateros-Twisp line. The redundant system will mean that users will have alternate power sources available during periods of maintenance or an outage.

At their board meeting April 8, the PUD commissioners authorized Michels Corp., a nationwide contractor with five Washington offices including Tumwater to perform the re-route for the 115 kilovolt (kV) Twisp-Winthrop project.

“The work will rebuild a half-mile of single circuit transmission line between the Twisp and Winthrop substations to increase reliability for both Okanogan PUD and the Okanogan County Electric Co-op,” the media release said.

The 27-mile Pateros-to-Twisp line was completed and energized last October.

The Okanogan PUD serves some 20,000 customers spread over more than 5,000 square miles in the largest county in the state.

“In addition, two electric co-ops and one municipal system also provide service in the county,” according to the PUD website, www.okanoganpud.org. “Our electric system consists of approximately 1,365 miles of overhead and 382 miles of underground distribution lines.”

The PUD also owns a 115-kV transmission system comprised of approximately 104 miles of line and 16 major substations.

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