Substation expansion gets green light

A controversial substation expansion got the green light Wednesday.

By a 5-4 vote, the Salt Lake Planning Commission cleared the way for Rocky Mountain Power to upgrade a substation in the northeast part of the city despite concerns from dozens of residents about health risks, obstructed views and other unintended consequences.

The substation, 142 S. 1100 East, needs its voltage bumped from 38,000 to 146,000 kilovolts in order to accommodate a growing demand for power, the utility said.

The switch from swamp coolers to air conditioning systems and an increase in home electronics has meant an increase in power consumption even in built-out areas.

With the northeast substation running at 93 percent of its capacity, the expansion is "critical" in avoiding outages to the 5,000 homes it powers, said Kevin Freestone, of Rocky Mountain Power.

Neighbors have been working with the utility for several months and said that progress was made from the utility's original plans for expansion.

"There's already been an amazing amount accomplished," said Esther Hunter, of the University Neighborhood Council.

Rocky Mountain Power officials met with residents several times to address concerns about the substation and the utility's long-term plans.

"We went back to the drawing board," community director Alene Bentley said.

The original design has undergone a major overhaul, reducing the substation's footprint and dropping its height by 20 feet.

"There's been a lot of movement," said Councilman Luke Garrott, who represents the area. "But we're not at the point of change."

Garrott, along with many other residents, asked the commission to delay its vote, allowing more time to fine tune the expansion and give the city a chance to work on a sustainability master plan. Hunter said Rocky Mountain Power takes a "piecemeal approach" that is shortsighted and leads to fights with neighborhoods.

The city's Sustainability Division is working on ordinances for long-term planning, said Community and Economic Development Director Frank Gray.

The city is also working with Rocky Mountain Power officials on drafting legislation that would create a multi-city fund that would help bury power lines, a move that might help address some of the health and aesthetic concerns.

E-mail: afalk@desnews.com