Description
Location: Woodburn, Oregon
Completed: 2026
Project Type: New Substation
Owner: Portland General Electric (PGE)
Contractor: Potelco (GC), Summit Line
Scope of Work:
Grade Tech worked as a subcontractor to Summit Line, under general contractor Potelco, on Portland General Electric’s new Monitor Substation in Woodburn, Oregon. The new substation includes 230 kV, 115 kV, and 57 kV yards.
Foundations were the core of the job. Our crews installed more than 500 foundations, most of them small but each requiring precise placement. We also built the oil containment system around the 230 kV and 115 kV transformers, including an oil containment pond with drain lines.
The existing pad had not been built to plan, so our team worked out where foundations, fence, and surfacing needed to go so everything would fit together. The roadways couldn’t hold up to construction traffic and weather, so we over-excavated and replaced 7,000 CY with suitable material. We finished the site with 5,000 tons of yard rock.
Oregon’s rain was the biggest challenge, affecting foundation excavations, roads, and dump sites throughout the job. Our crews managed the water and kept the work moving. After stepping away so other contractors could finish their scopes, Grade Tech returned to place the finish rock and close out the site. Potelco specifically asked for our foreman to come back and see the project through to completion.
Project Highlights:
- 500+ foundations across 230 kV, 115 kV, and 57 kV yards
- Oil containment system and pond with drain lines for two transformers
- 7,000 CY of roadway over-excavated and replaced
- 5,000 tons of yard rock placed
- Layout adjusted to fit a pad that wasn’t built to plan
- 12,229 man-hours with no major safety incidents
