Infrastructure - Electricity

How much electricity does Bridlemile use every day?

Bridlemile uses roughly 75 megawatts (MW) of electricity on a typical day.

In case you were wondering:
What’s a watt?

And how was the 75 MW estimate made?

The US government reports that the average Oregon household uses ~30 kW per day. And the City of Portland reports that Bridlemile has 2,489 households. Thus, 30 kW/day/household * 2,489 households in Bridlemile = 74,670 kW ~= 75 MW/day for all of Bridlemile.

How do you get electricity in Bridlemile?

Flip on a lamp switch in your Bridlemile house – shazam – light comes on apparently instantly. In most cases, that happens so quickly because a great number of tiny electricity particles called electrons zip from distant Portland General Electric (PGE) power stations to your Bridlemile residence. And this happens faster than you can blink even though those power stations may be hundreds of miles away.

The electrons rush through a few steps to provide the electrical power needed to turn on your light:

1.     Generation in a distant rural area

2.     Transmission to Bridlemile’s Glencullen substation near Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW 45th.

3.     Distribution to your residence and to your light fixture

Above: The local (Glencullen) electrical substation’s step-down transformer, 2024.

For more information: “Wendover Productions: How Electricity Gets to You”

Solar power is an exception to the above generation, transmission, and distribution information. For example, Bridlemile School’s roof has about 240 solar panels that make up a 241.1 kW solar array. The school’s solar roof was installed starting in 2015 thanks to contributions from Portland General Electric’s Renewable Energy Fund, in partnership with Portland Public Schools and Energy Trust of Oregon.

How to find and ID electricity artifacts in Bridlemile?

Utility pole-mounted artifacts:

Find prominent physical signs of Bridlemile electric power on utility poles, where electricity cables sit on the top part (~third) of a utility pole. They tower above the telecommunications cables, which occupy the middle part (~third) of the pole.

Most cables found on these poles are covered by black polyethylene. The main exception are the primary transmission or distribution power lines at or near the top of poles and typically attached to cross arms. These are bare, un-insulated wires.

Underground electrical artifacts:

If you live in an area without utility poles, as in the most recently built sub-divisions, you likely get your electricity from underground cables. In this case, your distribution transformers will typically be located in or near your front yard, near the street and will come in the form of a green metal, hinged box without vents, as shown below.

For more information on electrical power items you can find around the neighborhood, https://utilityindustry.info/electric/

Also:

To view electricity outage areas or to report an outage in Bridlemile, go to: https://portlandgeneral.com/outages