Bellevue Reliability Project

About the Bellevue Reliability Project

OPPD is upgrading our transmission and distribution systems in Bellevue to create more resilience and reliability for the community and to pave the way for significant growth.

OPPD plans to rebuild transmission, upgrade or expand five substations and build one new substation in the eastern and southern parts of Bellevue to support community growth and reliability. Routing and siting efforts will begin this year, with project completion over the course of several years.

This project also addresses system vulnerabilities that were identified after the historic flooding of 2019 and implements a design that creates more redundancy and grid resiliency for Bellevue customers. The investment upgrades an aging part of our system – some poles and substations date back many decades – with more modern technology. This project is part of a multi-year, billion-plus dollar investment in infrastructure across our service territory.

OPPD is supporting growth and reliability in Bellevue over these phases:

Southeast Bellevue Transmission Project

New and expanded substations, as well as a new transmission line, will enable growth, support critical community infrastructure and remove transmission lines and our substation from the flood plain.

Olde Towne Transmission Project

A new line will replace existing transmission lines that are in the flood plain. OPPD will be evaluating opportunities to upgrade distribution lines and relocate those lines under transmission, where feasible.

Project Study Area

The project study area is used to provide a general boundary of land to further evaluate before finalizing the transmission routes. The map (above) is reflective of two study areas – the Olde Towne Transmission Project Study area and the Southeast Bellevue Transmission Project Study area.

Determining the paths for this transmission infrastructure will consider stakeholder feedback in each area, in addition to careful evaluation of environmental, engineering and community concerns.

Important considerations include: minimizing impacts to private properties and maximizing the distance of transmission lines from homes, schools, parks, churches and cemeteries. Click here to learn more about the routing and siting criteria. OPPD will gather public feedback through a process that includes local leader meetings, webinars and open houses. We also collect comments online and have a hotline available for those interested in connecting by phone at 402-200-4128.

Initial Project Webinar Presentation and Community Engagement Sessions

As part of our commitment to informing and engaging customers on projects and key decisions, we will host a series of initial public events to introduce the project to the Bellevue community,

Online Presentation

OPPD will host an online presentation to introduce the project. Our staff will present project information, share our process for routing and siting transmission in the community, and provide you opportunities to share your feedback. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at 6 p.m.

You may pre-register for the event by clicking here.
After clicking the link, click the Register button.
You will be prompted for your name, email and ZIP Code. This information is only used to identify you as an attendee, and to send any follow-up information regarding the online presentation.
Once you register, look out for an email with the event link and calendar invite. The email will come from Cisco Webex on behalf of Kimberly Barnes.

OPPD will make a recording that will be made available on this page for individuals who cannot attend.

Community Engagement Sessions

We also will host in-person community engagement sessions. Because the project is still in its early stages, these sessions will not include a formal presentation. Instead, you can drop in at any time while we’re there and explore a series of stations with information about the project at your own pace. Each station will share key details and offer opportunities for you to provide feedback. Our staff will be available to answer questions and share ways to stay informed as the project moves forward.

We will offer two locations, one in southeast Bellevue and one near Olde Towne Bellevue. The same information will be provided at both events, so feel free to attend either location:

Olde Towne Bellevue: Reed Community Center, 1200 Lord Boulevard, Wednesday, March 4 from 4-7 p.m.
Southeast Bellevue: Hanke Hall, 915 Allied Road, Thursday, March 5 from 4-7 p.m.

Following this initial project outreach, OPPD plans to schedule open houses to focus on the routing and siting locations of our transmission lines for both southeast Bellevue and Olde Towne Bellevue. We will advertise these events with residents as soon as the new dates are confirmed. To stay informed, please sign up for email alerts on this page or revisit this page for the latest information.