Duke Energy is strengthening the state's energy grid, making it more resilient and secure. These enhancements will improve power quality and reliability for all our customers. Our goal is to consistently meet power demand with safe, reliable, dependable and increasingly clean energy for homes, schools and businesses, both now and into the future.
Background
The Orchard Tie substation and transmission line project is designed to enhance energy reliability and support future energy growth in the area. This project is the result of an identified need for a 230-kilovolt (230-kV) transmission substation near the border between the city of Newton and the town of Maiden in Catawba County, N.C.
Several Duke Energy projects have taken place in this community over the last decade, including the completion of two customer substations in 2009 and 2018.
Substation Details
The future substation, located at 2802 Elbow Road in Newton, N.C., will allow Duke Energy to reinforce its electric transmission system to meet federal reliability and security requirements and continue providing reliable service to its customers. The new substation will be constructed on land owned by Duke Energy.
Transmission Line Details
As part of this infrastructure enhancement project, one new 100-kV transmission line will be built. Additionally, connector lines from one existing 100-kV line and one existing 230-kV line will be built to connect the new substation to Duke Energy’s existing infrastructure. There will be less than 1 mile of 230-kV line installed originating from the substation site, which will include the construction of 11 towers.
The new 100-kV line will form a loop that will be less than 3 miles in length and will mostly parallel existing lines with some paralleling the north side of Elbow Road between Peyton Frye Road and the new substation. The new transmission line will be built on a combination of Duke Energy-owned property and property under easement agreements.
In addition, some of the existing structures will be replaced. As part of the process, lines will be transferred to temporary poles while existing structures are broken down and new ones ranging from 40 to 162 feet tall are built. In total, 23 new structures will be installed on the replacement portion of this project.
Project Timeline
Dates
- November 2017: Substation siting study complete
- Summer 2018: Substation site development begins
- January 2019: Line construction begins
- Spring 2019: Temporary transmission line in place
- Estimated December 2020: Permanent transmission line completed
- Estimated December 2020: Orchard Tie substation completed
Details
Site Development Construction Activities (August 2018-September 2019)
- Vegetation and tree removal for substation pad and transmission lines
- Grading site in preparation for substation construction
- Conversion of excess Duke Energy property to cow pasture, which will include additional tree clearing and stump grinding
Substation Construction Activities (Target: February 2019-December 2020)
- Contractors mobilizing heavy equipment and materials to the site
- Pouring concrete pads for substation equipment
- Erecting steel for substation equipment
- Installing substation equipment
Transmission Line Construction Activities (Target: February 2019-December 2020)
- Erecting temporary poles
- Transferring conductors to temporary poles
- Removing existing and installing new transmission infrastructure
- Transmission line constructed to connect the existing transmission line to the new tie substation
- Transmission line constructed to connect the existing transmission line to the new tie substation
Target December 2020 completion
Benefits to the Community
- Substations are critical to meeting the energy needs of homes, schools and businesses now and in the future. The Orchard Tie reliability enhancement project will ensure power remains reliable now and in the future for communities in Catawba County and surrounding counties.
- Customers of Rutherford Electric Cooperative and Newton City Electric will benefit from the increased reliability this new substation will provide.
- Duke Energy’s 230-kV transmission system serves as the backbone of the electrical grid in the area. As the demand for energy grows, the new substation provides an additional source to serve customers.
