Crews working with Pacific Power recently began significant construction on the Banfield Substation at 9380 NE Halsey Street. The power utility says the new distribution project will reduce the load on existing substations, creating greater stability for current customers and supporting increased demand from new developments in the Montavilla and Gateway areas. Project planners anticipate the new substation will come online by mid 2027.
Montavilla News reported on the proposed substation at the Interstate 84 adjacent site in 2022. PacifiCorp purchased the industrial property below freeway ramps and MAX light rail tracks at the end of 2017. Pacific Power, a division of PacifiCorp, provides electricity to Montavilla properties north of SE Stark Street, and its grid extends north to the Columbia River. In 2018, the power utility cleared all three metal-clad buildings from the site to make way for a power distribution substation. These facilities play a critical role in maintaining the local power grid as service demands increase, transforming voltage levels and managing the flow of electricity between power plants and customers.
Drew Marine, a Communications Specialist for Pacific Power, explained that this is not a replacement facility, but part of the company’s long-term plans to manage rising power demand while upgrading the existing power delivery network. “This is a new distribution project being built to relieve load growth on neighboring substations,” remarked Marine. “This project will also upgrade existing transmission lines, which will improve reliability for existing customers and create capacity for new customer requests in Northeast Portland.”
Energy experts predicted a jump in the region’s power demand as developers built new buildings with accommodations for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging. Construction volume has decreased from previous estimates; however, energy use continues to grow. Many builders rely entirely on electricity as they remove carbon-emitting natural gas appliances and heating systems, switching to heat pumps for heating and cooling. The increased power efficiency of new devices has somewhat limited the burden on the power grid. Still, increased air-conditioning use in more homes, for more of the year, requires more electricity than Portland historically used.
Pacific Power contractors are preparing the ground-level facilities on the site and staging the tall heavy-duty steel frameworks that will support high-voltage electrical equipment and overhead power lines. After years of planning, the Banfield Substation should be in service in mid-2027, well ahead of demand. Its location should reduce the impact of rising power usage from new construction and improve reliability for existing customers. Commuters by car and transit will soon see the site take shape as structures rise in this industrial section of the neighborhood.
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