How Do You Relocate Riverbed Power Lines?

In Portland, Oregon, Pacific Power is drilling under the Willamette River.

The Willamette River (“It’s Willamette, dammit”) runs through the center of Portland. Although you can swim in some parts of the river on a hot day (if you check e.coli levels first), the riverbed around the Port of Portland is being remediated as a Superfund site. During a walk this week, I learned that the remediation will include some cable rerouting to an electrical interconnection in my neighborhood.

As part of the remediation, Pacific Power is removing cables that currently sit on the riverbed, and drilling paths further south for new cables.

The upgrade will put part of a great park out of commission through next year. That said, it sounds like a better way to handle the cabling over time.

Of possible interest: Energy Systems Change