New high-voltage transmission line supports reliability for the Hanford Site

The Bonneville Power Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office, energized the Midway-to-Ashe 230-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line in southeastern Washington on May 6.

“The completion of this 230-kV line is a major step in our continued focus on reliability and ensuring adequate capacity for the future,” said Administrator and CEO John Hairston. “BPA looks forward to our ongoing partnership with the Hanford Field Office as we move forward with the critical work taking place at the Hanford facility.”

Located on the Hanford Nuclear Site, where the Department of Energy is conducting the largest nuclear-waste cleanup in the United States, the new line replaces an aging, 70-year-old line. Since the 1980s, BPA has used the line to provide backup service to Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station, the only nuclear plant operating in the Pacific Northwest.

“The team did a tremendous job overcoming various challenges that arose while working on the protected superfund clean-up site,” said Vice President of Transmission Engineering and Technical Services Mike Miller. “The communication and coordination between the BPA project team and Hanford was crucial to the project’s success.”

The 18-mile line connects BPA’s Midway substation, located offsite, to BPA’s Ashe substation located on the Hanford Site. Using a lattice, dual-circuit tower design, the line ensures a redundant, offsite power source is available for the safe and reliable operation of CGS. The new line also ensures continued, reliable power to Hanford’s cleanup operations and facilities, including a plant that will treat waste from underground tanks.

“Leveraging the grid will allow us to achieve President Trump and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright's ambitious goals for the future,” said Nick Elliot, director of the Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office. “We must ensure we have critical generation resources and transmission to support the country’s growing load, including the expansion of datacenters and manufacturing. The energization of this vital transmission line reinforces Department of Energy’s commitment to delivering reliable, secure, and affordable energy to the American people.”

BPA will own and operate the towers and Midway-to-Ashe circuit. The Hanford Field Office will operate the second circuit that supports the vitrification plant and other site facilities.

“This project has demonstrated the advantages of collaborating with BPA,” said Hanford Field Office’s acting Deputy Manager Brian Harkins. “Their expertise and dedication have been invaluable in managing the project and successfully constructing the new line. BPA's exceptional performance has not only ensured the project's success but has also set a standard for future collaborations. We look forward to continuing this productive partnership on future projects.”