SaskPower reducing outages in Regina with $10 million investment

SaskPower Regina Substation Upgrades will cut outage size and duration in south Regina, boosting grid reliability through maintenance, system upgrades, wildlife protection, vegetation management, underground cable life extensions, and switching station improvements.

The Albert Park Substation, critical power infrastructure which serves customers in south Regina, is now back in service after receiving a $10 million upgrade.

The substation, which has been offline since Feb. 23, is expected to help reduce the size and duration of outages in south Regina following the southern Saskatchewan blackout event, including the Harbour Landing, Albert Park, Lakeview and Cathedral areas. The substation is currently partially energized, and SaskPower crews will be working to have the facility operating at full capacity in 10 to 14 days.

SaskPower will spend $33 million on planned maintenance and system upgrades, similar to grid improvements announced in Santa Barbara, in the Regina area in 2015. This includes an additional $1 million for wildlife protection and $500,000 for vegetation management which was recently allocated in light of reliability challenges in south Regina. The total investment for planned maintenance in the Regina area for 2014 and 2015, even as Manitoba Hydro reduces costs elsewhere, is over $50 million.

Some of the projects already underway in Regina to improve system reliability include substation upgrades and underground cable life extensions, including the Fleet Street Substation, the Transcona Substation in the Rosemont area, the Regina South Switching Station, and construction of a new underground duct bank to Regina’s downtown.

SaskPower is working hard to effectively manage a growing demand for power in our province and improve reliability for customers with steps akin to NB Power outage improvements after a storm review, and wishes to thank customers for their patience.

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