Our top priority is delivering safe and reliable electric service to customers. This means continually maintaining and upgrading 73,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines and more than 13,500 substations. We also look for ways to streamline processes and operate more efficiently to help keep costs down.

The ever increasing demand for electricity throughout Rocky Mountain Power and sister company Pacific Power’s system has resulted in an intensive infrastructure investment program. Building facilities to both supply and deliver electricity to consumers has been necessary.

Construction of the Currant Creek plant was completed in 2006, bringing the plant’s full capacity of 525 megawatts on line to serve customers throughout PacifiCorp’s six-state service area. In addition the new Lake Side power plant in Vineyard, Utah, added 545 megawatts.  Associated with these projects is the new transmission line in the Herriman area of the southwest Salt Lake Valley that will transport the output from these two plants to customers throughout the company’s service areas. One of Rocky Mountain Power’s newest substations went on line May 30, 2006 in West Jordan.

The 70th South substation is part of the company’s $115.3 million investment in distribution infrastructure in Utah during the past year. It is just one of the capital construction projects serving the electrical needs of Utah customers. The five transmission expansion projects and eight substation projects completed in preparation of the 2006 summer peak season added 557 MVA of capacity to the power delivery system along the Wasatch Front alone. An intensive building program since 2002 has been in place to meet the continued growth in the area and enhance reliability of the system. This construction program has worked to reduce the number of transformers and distribution circuits that were operating near capacity and allow room for the continuing growth in demand for electricity.

In addition, an improved contingency monitoring system has been put in place. Closer coordination with staffs in engineering, planning, operations, dispatch, procurement and logistics, transportation asset management and regulatory affairs has been an additional benefit to service reliability.

To improve service reliability and plan for the future needs of Utah’s Dixie area, Rocky Mountain Power and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) have completed the expansion of the St. George substation and the installation of voltage control equipment. By working together on the project, the facilities of both utilities will be expanded and coordinated to realize efficiencies and capabilities neither system could achieve separately. The project was dedicated in June 2006.

Construction of a new transmission line in the Cache Valley is well underway. Providing this third transmission line into the valley will allow for continued service to customers should an emergency take one of the existing lines out of service. This additional capacity will enhance reliability in the area.

Electrical infrastructure upgrades
Over the last few years, we've invested $200 million in enhancements to the power system including the addition of 14 substations and 174 new or upgraded power lines. There are currently several transmission projects in place.

These projects are part of our long-term resource plan to meet the growing electricity needs of customers.