Understanding Our Connection: How BPA Transmission Lines Impact Central Lincoln

On Sunday, February 23, our communities faced a severe storm that brought high, powerful winds, resulting in widespread power outages across Central Lincoln's service territory. These conditions continued into Monday, February 24, culminating in a critical failure around 6:00 p.m. when a BPA transmission line failed, impacting all customers in our northern service area, from Lincoln Beach to Washburne State Park south of Yachats. This added significant strain to an already challenging situation, affecting nearly 20,000 customers. Both BPA and Central Lincoln acted swiftly, with BPA deploying line crews to quickly identify and fix the problem, demonstrating a strong commitment to restoring service as expediently as possible.

Central Lincoln is committed to providing our customers with reliable and affordable electric service. However, there are times when factors beyond our control affect our ability to deliver power. One significant factor is our connection to the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) transmission lines.

What is BPA?

The Bonneville Power Administration is a federal agency that oversees the generation and transmission of electricity across long distances in the Pacific Northwest. As a federal government entity, BPA operates as a nonprofit, but it does not receive tax dollars-its budget comes from the purchase of power by community-owned electric utilities like Central Lincoln.

How Do BPA Lines Connect to Our System?

BPA's high-voltage transmission lines serve as the fundamental backbone of the electrical grid for community-owned utilities along the Oregon Coast. Specifically, these lines operate at 230,000 volts within our service territory and connect BPA's substations in Toledo, Wendson, and Tahkenitch. From these substations, BPA then steps down the voltage to levels that can be managed by our system: 69,000 volts in Toledo; 115,000 volts in Florence, Berrydale, Reedsport, Lakeside, Hauser, and Glasgow; 12,470 volts in Mapleton; and 13,800 volts in Gardiner.

From these substations, power is distributed through our extensive network of distribution lines that cover all 700 square miles of our service territory-not just where BPA lines connect. This network includes larger distribution lines as well as smaller tap lines and service lines that directly reach your premises. Our team carefully maintains these lines to ensure reliability and safety. Additionally, numerous transformers in our system further adjust the electrical voltage to precisely meet local needs, ensuring efficient and reliable power delivery right to your doorstep.

By managing this comprehensive network of substations, distribution lines, and transformers, we ensure that every part of our service area, regardless of proximity to a BPA connection, receives consistent and reliable power.

What Causes BPA Line Outages?

While rare, outages on BPA's transmission lines can occur due to equipment failure, wildlife interactions, or severe weather events like extreme wind, lightning, or falling trees, all of which have the potential to disrupt the flow of electricity.

Vegetation Management and Maintenance

It's important to note that Central Lincoln does not maintain the vegetation along BPA's transmission lines. BPA is solely responsible for keeping these lines clear of trees and other vegetation, which can cause outages when they contact the lines. They have vegetation management programs in place to minimize disruptions and maintain service integrity.

Our Role During a BPA Outage

When an outage occurs on a BPA line, it affects our ability to deliver power to you. Although these situations are beyond our control, we maintain communication with BPA to stay informed about their progress in restoring service. However, the restoration process itself is managed entirely by BPA, and we do not have authority over their operations. We also strive to keep our customers informed during outages. You can receive real-time outage information on our website or by following our social media.

It's important to note that while Central Lincoln does not assist with the repair of BPA's higher voltage transmission lines under normal circumstances, our crews are prepared to assist if needed and when requested. Additionally, certain Central Lincoln employees are qualified and trained to enter BPA substations within our service territory to perform essential switching duties and other necessary work. This specialized training is conducted annually in collaboration with BPA personnel, ensuring our team's readiness to support these operations as required.

Again, outages on BPA's main transmission lines are rare. Central Lincoln has multiple, redundant feeds coming from BPA, and the event referenced in this article represented the first time that both of the main transmission lines in the northern part of our service territory were down simultaneously.

Appreciation for Dedication and Teamwork

During the recent outage, the strength of our partnership with BPA proved invaluable. As many customers noted on social media, our ability to restore power quickly was thanks to our dedicated crews who braved the storm, and to BPA's expedient problem-solving and repairs. We deeply appreciate BPA's role not only as a power provider but also as a critical part of our response to emergencies. Their effectiveness directly impacts our service quality and reliability.

Be Prepared for Outages

We understand the inconvenience and challenges that power outages can bring. To help you better prepare for unexpected situations, we have dedicated a section of our website to emergency preparedness. Here, you can find tips on assembling an emergency kit, ways to stay informed about outages, and steps to being prepared for disasters and unexpected situations. Visit the outage section of our website for comprehensive resources and guidance.

Commitment to Communication and Resilience

As we move forward, Central Lincoln is not only committed to swiftly restoring power during outages but also to making continuous improvements in our infrastructure. We are investing in technology and systems that enhance the resilience of our network against natural disasters and other disruptions. Our goal is to not just react to challenges but to proactively fortify our community's power supply. Your safety and satisfaction are paramount, and we thank you for your trust and patience as we continue to enhance our service. Together, we are building a more reliable and resilient power future.

While we do not control the operations or maintenance of BPA's transmission lines, it is rare to experience outages on these lines. However, recent events have shown us that such scenarios can occur. Being prepared for every possibility ensures that we can restore your power as quickly as possible once BPA's service is back online. We're here to manage the situation on our end, keeping you informed and working tirelessly to bring the lights back on. Our proactive stance and robust emergency response plans underscore our commitment to you-ensuring that even in rare instances, we are prepared and responsive.

An aerial view shows BPA's transmission lines leading into their Toledo substation, with Central Lincoln's substation directly opposite.