Standing Bear Lake Station

With site progress at about 90%, construction activities are ramping up ahead of commissioning as the generation facility is scheduled to go online later this year. As the crews work diligently to meet this deadline, limited shifts will continue into the night at times as we approach operation. Night shifts are expected to have smaller crews and will adhere to all permits and ordinances necessary.

Standing Bear Lake Station Aerial View January 2024 (facing east)

Standing Bear Lake’s substation was completed and energized in December, and transmission work for the plant is complete.

This month, Wärtsilä, the manufacturer of Standing Bear Lake Station’s reciprocating internal combustion engines, continues the second phase of engine assembly. The focus at Standing Bear Lake in the coming months is finishing major electrical work in the site’s engine hall, five power distribution centers and supporting facilities.

The lighting and paving work is also underway, along with beautification and other cosmetic work. Also coming in 2024 will be site landscaping work.

Standing Bear Lake Station is set to come online this summer, for more highlights of recent progress, please see this story in The Wire.

There will be an uptick in transmission construction activity near Standing Bear Lake Station through September.

Towards the end of August and into September, OPPD’s partner contractor, Brink Constructors, will be accessing the M.U.D. campus with various trucks and tractor trailers by way of Hartman Avenue and Rambleridge Road to deliver poles and other structure materials to the site.

Additional activity will be seen along Military Road and on M.U.D.’s campus as Brink Constructors begins erecting the transmission lines that will connect the new Standing Bear Lake Station to the electric grid. While there will be increased truck traffic, and the occasional, short duration lane blockage, the bulk of the construction will happen off the roadway and should not negatively impact traffic in the area.

Also near Military Road, portions of the site’s north entrance off Military Road will be paved. Increased truck traffic and construction workers may be present for this construction during the last week of August through mid-September.

Please use precaution while activities are in progress on Military Road. As always, please do not follow trucks in to work zones and make sure you look out for any traffic signage in the area.

Above ground construction at Standing Bear Lake Station is well underway. All Wartsila engines and generators have been moved into the Engine Hall. The exhaust ducts and stacks are being constructed and installed. Additionally, the substation is nearing the final stages of construction.

Facing South, Aerial View, June 2023

A lot of construction progress has been happening on site the last few months as seen in this aerial photo.

In mid-May, the nine Wartsila engines and generators (seen in blue) will be moved to the new engine hall.

Foundations for the transmission lines have been set along Military Road. Transmission work will be completed this fall in coordination with the energization of the substation onsite.

Facing South – Substation and Generation Construction Progress as of April 2023

Construction progresses during the winter months with erection of the engine hall in the power block area and with erection of vertical bus supports in the substation area at Standing Bear Lake Station.

The large temporary tent structure at the north of the site has been removed following assembly of the nine Wärtsilä engines. The associated generators have also been received. All three Generator Step-up Transformers (GSU) have been transported to the Standing Bear Lake Station site and are on their foundations.

Facing South – Substation and Generation Construction Progress

Beginning Friday, Dec. 9, the first of three Generator Step-up Transformers (GSU) will be transported to the Standing Bear Lake Station site. The GSU transformer will step-up the generator output to a higher voltage to be put on the transmission network. The other two GSUs will be transported later this month.

If members of the public come across this move, we ask that they refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles and stay far back from the work taking place so that we can complete it safely.

Activity continues at the north end of the site near the entrance off Military Road where a large, temporary structure has been erected. OPPD’s vendor will be assembling equipment within that structure over the next few months.

Transmission line work in the vicinity will be starting soon to help connect the new Standing Bear Lake Station and associated substation to the grid.

Beginning Sept. 6 and over the next couple of weeks, OPPD will be working with contractors to transport nine Wärtsilä reciprocating internal combustion engines to the Standing Bear Lake Station, near 114th Street and Military Road. One engine will be moved at a time, with activity occurring later in the evening and going into the overnight hours.

Specialized large equipment movers will be utilized for this effort. Loaded on a trailer, the equipment measures approximately 248’ long by 14’ wide and 19’ tall. The trailer and engine combined will weigh in at 796,000 pounds. These engines were shipped from Italy and then shipped by rail to Nebraska.

Such a massive move will require some road closures for a brief period of time overnight as the equipment travels along its journey. OPPD and the large equipment movers have coordinated with city, county and state officials, as well as members of law enforcement, to ensure the safety of the public and workers along the route.

While such a big move will certainly pique interest, we ask that the public refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles. Please stay a safe distance back, off of streets, so we can complete this important work. Obey all traffic signs and law enforcement officers, who will be stationed at various locations to assist in this process.

Learn more and see video of the move here.

OPPD's vendor, Zachry Group, continues to prepare laydown and storage areas for equipment, materials, and supplies in anticipation of approaching construction work.

A new entrance to the construction area is being placed east of the current entrance off Military Road.

Preliminary grading is winding down and foundation work has begun in preparation for the new facility.

This summer, construction activities will include work on gas and transmission infrastructure, although major equipment isn’t expected to arrive until late summer or early fall.