After six decades, a new piece of PUD equipment is ready to take its place in the utility system supplying reliable energy to Grays Harbor PUD customers. In late 2022, the planning began on a project to move a 111,000-pound, 75MVA substation transformer to the Highland substation, located in the hills overlooking Cosmopolis. Following months of work, in November PUD substation crews oversaw the removal of the old, 127,000-pound transformer, which had provided service to the area for just over 60 years. The 6-decade-old transformer was disconnected from the PUD system on November 13th and trucked out of the substation yard on November 20th.
On December 19th, following site cleaning and preparation, two trucks from Rognlins, Inc. combined to tow the newer, 41-ton transformer from it's previous location in the Electric Park substation in Aberdeen, up the steep gravel road to the Highland substation. After making a 90-degree turn around substation equipment, a crane carefully raised the transformer off the lowboy trailer and maneuvered it into place, where PUD substation crews detached the crane straps and began preparing the site for connection to the PUD system, scheduled for late January of 2024. Once online, the transformer will be part of the energy system providing service to PUD customers in South Aberdeen and the South Beach of Grays Harbor.
The work at the Highland substation is part of a larger project to increase power capacity within the PUD system. By moving the transformer to Highlands, room is made in Aberdeen's Electric Park substation for two new, 100MVA transformers which will arrive in early 2024. Once installed and online, the new equipment will increase capacity and supply customer energy needs.