Power delivery systems at PGE’s four Reliability Centers are designed to meet the unique needs of high-tech manufacturers and other companies with power-sensitive operations.

In the Portland region, PGE has developed three Reliability Centers to serve businesses with high reliability requirements. The centers serve semiconductor plants, high-technology operations and other industries and commercial operations that demand superior power quality and reliability.

Unique features

• Each is served by three independent 115 kV transmission lines configured to provide full redundancy and outage protection.
• Substations are sized to serve projected loads with redundant transformation ensuring reliability.
• Beyond the substation, industry is served by redundant underground distribution systems connected to the customer’s delivery point.
• Portland City Center is served by a Network Distribution System providing reliability through an interconnected distribution system served by multiple transmission feeds.

Hillsboro: Sunset Reliability Center

• Three 115 kV transmission lines connected to a breaker and one half bus. Transmission lines include a pilot wire providing high-speed transfer trip technology clearing a fault within six cycles. A fault occurring in any two of the three lines will not result in an outage.
• Two 28 MVA and three 50 MVA transformers in the station are configured to provide full redundancy. The station is designed to accommodate four 115 kV lines and eight transformers.
• 13 kV feeders serve high-tech customers through redundant underground distribution.
• The substation uses metal clad switchgear to minimize exposure to outages from birds and squirrels

Gresham: Fujitsu Reliability Center

• Three 115 kV transmission lines connected to a ring bus. Transmission lines include a pilot wire design providing high-speed transfer trip technology clearing a fault within six cycles. A fault occurring in any two of the three lines will not result in an outage to the Fujitsu plant.
• There are presently two 28 MVA distribution transformers configured to provide full redundancy. The station is designed to accommodate three 50 MVA transformers.
• 13 kV feeders serve the facility underground and are fully redundant.
• Fujitsu’s substation uses metal clad switchgear to minimize exposure to outages from birds and squirrels.

Portland: Downtown Network Reliability Center

• The Canyon and Stephens substations.
• Canyon has three 115 kV lines connected to a modified transmission bus serving three network systems with 12 distribution feeders, four per network.
• Stephens has three 57 kV lines to a simple transmission bus serving one network system with eight distribution feeders.
• At each substation two of the three transmission lines can be taken out of service without affecting network reliability or voltage.
• Two underground networks in the downtown core, one operates at 480 volts, the other at 208 volts.
• Any one feeder or combination of transformers can be taken out of service without affecting the secondary system and voltage.

Overview of Reliability Centers

Distribution & siting assistance
Considering relocating a facility? PGE will provide quick answers to your questions about energy, distribution, services or energy deregulation in Oregon. Our assistance includes evaluation of a future corporate customer’s operating requirements,packaging the appropriate service solutions within our portfolio of regulated and unregulated products and services, and connecting to PGE’s distribution system. PGE integrates with all utility service providers and local political jurisdictions to determine the best location to meet your needs.

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