SBuilding for the future R
ecent system upgrades will ensure service remains strong for many years to come in two coopera ve communi es. The
construc on of a pair of new substa ons, which u lize the latest advancements in u lity technology, means enhanced service for 4,000 members in the Ketchum and Saline Creek areas combined.
Manager of Engineering for Northeast Oklahoma Electric Coopera ve, Larry A. Cisneros. P.E., sat down with us and shared his insight regarding the two projects in a Q & A session.
Walk us through the melines for these two projects. “Construc on on the pad at the Ketchum site began during the fall of 2012. That work was complete by the winter of 2012. Primary construc on was fi nished by the fall of 2013, however, addi onal construc on was necessary outside of the substa on before bringing it in service. In early December 2014, the substa on transformer was energized. In the weeks that followed, new feeders were energized and load was gradually applied to the substa on while being decreased off both the Pensacola and Cleora substa ons.
“Construc on of the substa on at Saline Creek began this past summer and it was fi nished in December. Contractors completed new underground feeds out of the substa on, ed in the overhead, and allowed us to begin the process of transferring load off the Chimney Rock regulator sta on and onto the appropriate new feeds at the Saline Creek facility.”
Were there any special challenges encountered during these projects? “The only challenges at Ketchum were encountered by contract crews who were up against deadlines in wet and cold December condi ons. They dealt with lots of frozen ground that turned to mud. We had a quick turnaround at Saline Creek with short me frames for in-house design, ordering materials,
6 - NE Connection
By Clint Branham ystem upgrades keep service strong for co-op members
bidding out the contract and then beginning the work itself.”
How does our system benefi t from the construc on of these new facili es? “Future reliability in Ketchum was drama cally improved. Our Cleora substa on was heavily loaded and the relief that the Ketchum facility will provide is welcome. The area around the town of Ketchum will certainly benefi t. The Pensacola substa on was also relieved of some of its load. The ability we have now to backfeed large loads will be of benefi t both to our membership and coopera ve as a whole.
“As far as Saline Creek, the exis ng Chimney Rock sta on was experiencing loading close to its capacity. It was also fed by a distribu on circuit. Members in that area will experience improved service. Capacity has improved, loads are be er dispersed and the substa on is backed directly by the transmission system.”
Are there special features that set these new substa ons apart from others on our system? “There are four primary points that set these two substa ons apart from other substa ons on our system. First, is the confi gura on of the bus work known as the ‘main and transfer.’ This design allows us to bypass load from one breaker to another without the use of fuses, thus providing a safer transfer of load. This feature would be of benefi t if a breaker or recloser fails and requires bypassing. In an extreme case, we could literally transfer all load off all breakers onto one breaker.
“The second special feature of these subs is the use of aluminum tubular bus work for the switching arrangement on independent T-steel structures.
Communica ons Specialist
The third feature is the higher capacity in the main and the transfer bus work. Fourth, is the high side voltage. Both Ketchum and Saline substa ons are powered at 161,000 volts instead of the tradi onal 69,000 volts.”
Any points of interest to note with these two subs? “This effi cient design will serve for growing loads now and long into the future.
“The Ketchum substa on is the second substa on of this design to u lize breakers rated at 1,200 amp instead of tradi onal substa on reclosers with their much lower amp ra ng. Saline Creek substa on is designed to u lize 1,200 amp breakers but currently u lizes reclosers with modern controllers. The Saline Creek substa on u lizes three regulators that are ed to one controller. Tradi onally, each regulator has its own control. This new controller is a fi rst for us.”
As the coopera ve’s membership con nues to grow and the demand for energy increases, know that Northeast Oklahoma Electric Coopera ve will con nue to plan and increase its capacity, ensuring the quality and reliability of the service we provide remains high.
The Ketchum substa on is pictured above. Saline Creek is pictured below.
Photos by Larry A. Cisneros, P.E.
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