General

Bellevue transmission upgrades will boost reliability 

OPPD electrical equipment in Bellevue is getting a major overhaul to ensure robust and reliable electrical service. 

The upgrades, collectively known as the Bellevue Reliability Project, include new transmission and distribution lines to route electricity more efficiently, plus new and upgraded substations to protect OPPD’s infrastructure while converting electricity into the correct voltages for effective transmission. 

For customers, the project means greater reliability and a stronger, more durable local grid that promotes community growth. Routing and siting work began this year, with project completion in the next few years. 

OPPD is hosting an open house for one part of the project on Tuesday, July 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Bellevue East High School’s south gym. The open houses provide visitors the chance to review proposed route options and speak directly to members of the project team. 

The project is also designed to protect OPPD infrastructure against the kind of historic flooding the area experienced in 2019. Some of the poles and substations getting replaced are decades old, and the work will allow the utility to incorporate more modern technology into the system. 

OPPD plans to upgrade or expand five substations and build a new one in eastern and southern Bellevue. The work will unfold in different phases. 

Two transmission projects

The Southeast Bellevue Transmission Project will add and expand substations and a new transmission line, replacing older ones that are sitting in the Missouri River floodplain. 

OPPD announced its chosen route for the Southeast Bellevue Transmission Project at the utility’s June Board of Directors Committee meeting. The route considers factors including costs, engineering needs, environmental impacts, land use and community input. 

For the Olde Towne Transmission Project, OPPD will replace another transmission line in the floodplain and possibly add lower-voltage neighborhood distribution lines beneath those transmission lines, where feasible. Consolidating lines into one route saves space and affects fewer property owners. 

Seeking feedback

OPPD will consider stakeholder feedback, along with environmental, engineering and community concerns. As much as possible, the project’s goal is to minimize impacts on private properties and maximize the distance between transmission lines and homes, schools, parks, churches and cemeteries. 

Utility leaders and engineers will gather feedback through a process that includes local leader meetings, webinars and open houses. 

To provide feedback online, visit the project’s page on OPPDCommunityConnect.com, where you can also stay updated on the project’s progress. If you’d rather submit comments by phone, the number to call is 402-200-4128. 

“Community input is an important part of the process and something we weigh along with many engineering, environmental and social factors to shape how we proceed,” said Jake Farrell, OPPD’s manager of Real Property and Land Management.