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Submitting Firm: David Evans and Associates Inc.
Location: Fort Rock
Client/Developer/Owner: Southern Current LLC
Other Consultants/Key Participants: Aubrey Silvey, Bonneville Power Administration, Brent Beaverly, Burns & McDonnell, DEPCOM Power Inc., EASSE Engineers, MidState Electric, NewSun Energy, Soltage LLC, Vertech

The Rock Garden Collector/20MW Substation connects the two, 10MW Rock Garden and Fort Rock IV solar arrays to the BPA transmission grid via a seven-mile transmission line. This solar development is one of the first solar generation/renewable generation sites in Oregon directly connected to BPA.

The project was initialized by NewSun Energy, a power plant development group focused on renewable energy opportunities in the western United States. NewSun teamed with David Evans and Associates in the early stages to navigate the new challenge of connecting a private solar generation facility to a federally owned transmission system in Oregon. DEA brought local experience, relationships with stakeholders, and technical knowledge of existing systems and compatible substation and T-line solutions. Southern Current, a developer of large-scale solar and energy storage projects, came on board to provide financing, project management and photovoltaic design engineering capabilities. DEPCOM Power was the construction contractor.

DEA led the detailed design of the collector (substation) portion of the solar arrays and the T-lines, and was involved with project design through construction, commissioning, and operational turnover. The firm noted it is most proud of the assistance it provided in communication work with local utility and landowners for routing and the real-time support it provided BPA during commissioning and energization. The project was energized on schedule in June 2020 and sold in September 2020.

鈥淯sing open and trusted communication, the team was able to overcome project challenges and deliver this green energy project, on time, supporting us through commissioning and sale,鈥� wrote David Brueck, PE, vice president of Engineering, Procurement & Construction with Southern Current, in supporting DEA and the project for an ACEC award.