Readying a Rural Grid for Load Growth With Modernized Transmission and Distribution 

East River Electric Power Cooperative (ERE) delivers energy to 24 Midwestern distribution rural electric cooperatives and one municipally owned electric system. To support increasing power demand from a range of applications, including municipal utilities, agriculture, industry, and emerging crypto mining and data centers, ERE launched a three-year systemwide upgrade program. HDR was selected to serve as program manager for the effort, which involves more than 50 projects.  

ERE’s system includes roughly 250 substations and 3,000 miles of transmission lines. We helped the co-op review and identify programmatic tools, processes and resourcing requirements to address systemwide upgrade needs. Aligned with ERE’s team, our multidisciplinary experts supported substation and transmission improvements with engineering, permitting, site surveying and geographic information systems (GIS), right of way acquisition, real estate services and systems protection services.

Developing a Robust Project Management Plan

We worked side by side with ERE to develop a program management plan, starting with a workshop that focused on listening to their needs and drivers, and defining their current position and a vision for the future. We reviewed assets, prioritized projects, established a detailed schedule and developed a quality management plan. 

Together, we selected a program management information system (PMIS) to keep ERE, consultants and contractors on the same page throughout project execution with access to live, accurate data and program status. Tracking all ERE projects—including projects outside the system upgrade scope — the PMIS includes risk, financial tracking and forecasting, schedule, credit, change management, document management and submittals for each project. With more than 50 projects at play, the PMIS is a vital component in tracking project data accessibly and methodically. All teams involved can “slice and dice” information from the master schedule to break down specific projects by factors like area and team to provide insight into what’s happening in real time. 

Supporting Rural Communities With Transmission and Distribution Upgrades

ERE’s program includes widespread transmission and distribution upgrades to add capacity and develop interconnections. We’re actively engaged on 14 substation projects ranging from large breaker-and-a-half arrangements to voltage conversions at smaller distribution substations. We’re also supporting 25 transmission line projects spanning nearly 200 miles, including greenfield lines, wreck-out/rebuild of existing lines, and reconductor/insulation upgrades of existing lines to meet capacity needs into the future.

With complex, varying needs for each interconnection, a programmatic approach brings consistency to design and enables an efficient approach for critical infrastructure.