High-Voltage Substation and Transmission Upgrade
A new 500 kV substation and line upgrades built around outage windows the utility could grant only a few times a year.
- Owner
- Confidential
- Location
- U.S.
- Our role
- EPC contractor
- Delivery
- EPC
- Scale
- 500 kV
- Completed
- 2025
A new 500 kV substation and line upgrades to relieve a congested grid, built around outage windows the utility could grant only a few times a year.
The grid in the region was congested, and new generation could not connect until the substation and lines were upgraded. Large transformers and breakers had lead times of well over a year. Work on existing lines required outages that the grid operator would only approve in spring and fall, and missing a window meant waiting months for the next one.
The approach.
- 01
Transformers on the critical path
Transformer and breaker manufacturing was tracked with factory test dates, so a slip was visible long before delivery.
- 02
Outage windows as fixed milestones
Each outage window was a hard milestone in the schedule, with readiness checks at 90, 30 and 7 days.
- 03
Foundations ahead of steel
Our crews finished foundations and grounding early, so structures and equipment could be set as soon as they arrived.
- 04
Testing with the utility
Relay and control testing was done jointly with the utility, with switching plans reviewed line by line.
The outcome.
“An outage window does not wait for anyone. We checked readiness at ninety days, thirty and seven, and walked in ready each time.”
Project manager, Jacob Wiseman
Planning something like this?
Send us your scope, target date and biggest concern. A senior Jacob Wiseman lead will read it personally.