Powering Your Community
Wells Rural Electric Company (WREC) receives its power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which markets the power from 31 federal hydroelectric projects (marked on the map by black semicircles) in the Columbia River Basin. Bonneville has more than 15,000 miles of transmission lines (the teal and pink dotted-lines), and because WREC is at the far end of BPA’s transmission system, a problem anywhere along the way could cause disruptions for WREC and its members.
1.Hydroelectric Dam
About 85% of WREC’s power comes from carbon-free hydroelectricity. Hydroelectricity provides about 50% of the annual energy consumed in the Pacific Northwest region.
2.Step-Up Substation
Transformers at generating plants boost the power up to 500,000 volts so it can travel long distances over high voltage transmission lines.
3.High-Voltage Transmission Lines
In order to reach WREC’s service territory, electricity is delivered over transmission lines running through the systems of several other utilities, including Nevada Energy and Idaho Power Company.
4.Transmission Substation
These transformers reduce electricity to 69,000 volts, making it suitable for short-distance delivery.
5.Local Distribution Substation
WREC operates these smaller substations to reduce electricity to between 7,200 and 14,400 volts for distribution to users.
6.Distribution Lines
WREC’s distribution lines carry power to your home. The transformers you see on the power poles reduce voltage to 120/240, 120/208 or 277/480 for consumers.
