Electric Projects underway in North & South Eugene
Two large electric reliability projects kicked off this summer—the Headwaters Trail Electric Reliability Project in South Eugene and the Danebo Substation upgrade in Northwest Eugene. Both projects will ensure EWEB continues to provide reliable electricity for customers for years to come.
Both projects focus on increasing resilience to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, winter storms, and wildfires.
Headwaters Trail Electric Reliability Project
In early September, the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) began work on the Headwaters Trail Electric Reliability Project in South Eugene, a project a few years in the making.
Construction is expected to be completed in October, followed by site restoration and re-seeding of the construction area.
This project will replace several wooden poles that are at end of life with metal structures that are more resistant to natural disasters like winter storms and wildfires. In addition, nearly 1,000 feet of overhead electric lines will be relocated underground that feed power to approximately 900 customers. Finally, as part of the project, sections of the gravel walking path will be widened for improved access for hikers and for both EWEB and City Park maintenance crews and one pole structure will be moved away from the creek, yielding both recreational and environmental benefits.
“This is a high-priority investment for our customers and community that leverages grant funding – a win-win for the community” said Tyler Nice, EWEB Electric Operations Manager. “Because this area is heavily forested, it faces heightened risk of outages due to winter storms and wildfires. Due to the terrain, it is more difficult for repair crews to access this equipment during winter months. With this project, we are strengthening reliability and resilience in a high-risk area to better withstand those challenges.”
Impacts on Recreation
During construction, the Amazon Headwaters trail entrance from the corner of Frank Kinney Park will be closed. People will be able to access the trail from the Canyon Drive entrance. Additionally, a small section of the Rexius running trail will be closed near the corner of West Amazon Drive and Martin Street.
Investing Today for a Resilient Tomorrow
The project is a part of EWEB’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan to rebuild infrastructure so that it is more resilient to natural disasters like wildfires. The project is expected to cost nearly one million dollars; EWEB will be seeking FEMA natural hazard mitigation grant funds to cover the majority of these costs.
Danebo Substation Upgrade
EWEB is upgrading the Danebo Substation in Northwest Eugene between Williams St and Harriet St, which serves electricity to 6,000 people. The budget for the Danebo substation upgrades is $5 million.
Upgrades to the substation include:
- New robust and deep foundations, equipment designed to current seismic standards, and flexible connections to allow structures within the substation to move independently of each other during an earthquake.
- Modernized equipment and design to meet future energy demand and reliability needs.
- Public safety and security enhancements
Substation transformers are a critical piece of the electrical grid.
Substations change, or “step down,” high-voltage electricity from power generation stations to levels that can be safely distributed to power homes and businesses. EWEB has 38 substations in its electrical grid.
Investing today for a resilient tomorrow
The Danebo Substation was first constructed in 1965 during an infrastructure boom that accompanied Eugene's rapid expansion. Most EWEB substations were built in the 1970s. As a result, many transformers are over 40 years old, with a few reaching 70 years old.
EWEB plans to address this aging infrastructure bubble with 10 major substation upgrades in the next 10 years. The first was the Currin Substation near Garden Way and Interstate 105, which underwent a complete rebuild over the past two years. The Currin substation returned to service in the fall of 2024. While Currin was a complete reconstruction, Danebo only needs partial upgrades. These upgrades will ensure customers continue to receive reliable electricity while other substations in EWEB's grid undergo a complete rebuild in the years ahead. While those substations are shut down for construction, electricity will continue to flow to customers through substations like Danebo.
The work EWEB crews perform over the next ten years will result in a new generation of EWEB substations, providing reliable power to customers for the next half century and beyond.
Related Programs
Rebuilding 10 Substations in 10 Years
Learn about completed rebuilds and what's next for EWEB engineers as they work on these major infrastructure investments throughout the next decade.
Headwaters Trail Electric Reliability Upgrade
EWEB is upgrading electric equipment in Eugene’s largest natural resource area to increase infrastructure resiliency to natural disasters such as wildfire and winter storms.
Wildfire safety and prevention
Community wildfire prevention is increasingly important as climate, drought and a host of other issues are converging—resulting in more frequent and damaging wildfire events.
Smart meters
We want to provide customers with better service, build a more resilient community and create a cleaner energy future. As a part of acheiving these goals, we are upgrading our electric and water meters to smart meters.
