Due to permit approval delays and the narrowing of the 2010 construction window, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) will postpone its construction of the new Ponderosa Substation along Hwy 160 west of Pagosa Springs until spring 2011. The postponement will also enable LPEA to evaluate a proposed alternate location for the substation.
LPEA, working with Archuleta County, originally anticipated its Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the Ponderosa Substation to be granted in May 2010. It was, however, not granted until August 3, 2010.
“With winter quickly approaching, beginning construction this late in the season would require LPEA members in western Archuleta to receive their electricity from a temporary system configuration that we feel may be unreliable through the peak electricity usage months of December and January,” said Jake Wills, staff engineer, noting that to build the new substation, the existing one must be decommissioned and torn down. “This additional exposure and risk of extensive outages for members in Archuleta County is a situation LPEA wants to avoid however we can.”
 Though the existing Ponderosa Substation is beyond its suggested life, according to Wills, LPEA has put in place contingency plans to help ensure an adequate power supply throughout the winter should any problems arise with the existing Ponderosa Substation before spring 2011.
Prior to construction of the new substation, the electricity loads being fed from Ponderosa will be transferred to LPEA’s Pagosa and Piedra Substations, and to a small mobile substation. This temporary system configuration will be in place for the anticipated six-month construction period.
With the original construction plan delayed, LPEA will use the time to evaluate an alternate location on a parcel located on the south side of Hwy 160, offered by Parelli Natural Horsemanship. The alternate parcel has the potential to screen the substation from the general public, as well as provide LPEA with a less congested substation environment.
“While on the surface the alternate site may appear more desirable, environmental, biological and cultural clearances must be obtained,” said Wills. “Plus, we need to weigh the engineering logistics and costs. Our preliminary evaluation indicates that LPEA will need to construct a 2,100-foot access road and approximately one mile of new line. And the site will require extensive excavation and grading work. The additional costs for this will necessarily be absorbed by LPEA members.”
LPEA hopes to have the alternate site fully evaluated by November 2010. If it is deemed satisfactory, and the economic impact of moving the substation is negligible, LPEA will immediately begin the process with Archuleta County to apply for a Conditional Use Permit for the new site. Should that CUP be approved, LPEA would begin construction in May 2011.
If, added Wills, the new site is ruled out as an option, or complications arise during the permitting process, LPEA will begin construction in May on the existing parcel as originally planned.
The new, expanded Ponderosa Substation is required to meet the growing electricity demands in Archuleta County – demands that are in the form of increased use of electronic equipment, devices and more, not necessarily residential growth – as well as replace old and declining equipment to ensure reliability. The substation will provide 14 MVA and directly serve approximately 2,750 member-customers in Archuleta County, as well as provide a reliable back-up source of power in the area.
LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, provides to its more than 30,000 members with in excess of 43,000 meters, safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost, while being environmentally responsible. For additional information, contact LPEA at 970.247.5786 or visit www.lpea.coop. |