Happy Camp system resiliency

We’re taking actions to enhance reliability and reduce the risk of equipment-related wildfires. These steps include replacing aging overhead power lines in areas with higher wildfire risk with fire-resistant infrastructure, such as covered conductor, and undergrounding lines in some areas.

In total, over 125 miles of line rebuild projects are planned in Happy Camp and Seiad Valley, with about 40 project miles planned for 2025. These enhancements will help improve the reliability of our system as we adapt to the growing threat of wildfire in the West.

• The Happy Camp and Seiad Valley projects will upgrade the safety and reliability of power lines to help prevent wildfire.
• This project will increase community safety by replacing wooden poles with steel poles, burying some lines underground, installing spacer cable and using covered conductor on power lines, which will significantly reduce wildfire risk.  

Photo: Covered conductor along Elk Creek Road bridge near Happy Camp, California.

The Happy Camp and Seiad Valley projects are broken into segments that will be worked on simultaneously:

• The Seiad East project will replace 5 miles of bare conductor with spacer cable and replace 125 wooden poles with fiberglass or steel poles. Two miles of transmission line will also be rebuilt.
• The Seiad West project will replace 14 miles of bare conductor with spacer cable and replace 350 wooden poles with fiberglass or steel poles. Crews will also rebuild 7 miles of transmission line and place 0.5 miles of power line underground.
• The Happy Camp Core project will replace 20 miles of bare conductor with spacer cable and replace approximately 500 wooden poles with steel poles. The project will also rebuild 12 miles of transmission line. A short segment of power line will be placed underground. 
• The Happy Camp East project is replacing 4.4 miles of bare conductor with spacer cable and upgrading 110 poles with fiberglass poles. 
• The Happy Camp Indian Creek project will replace 20 miles of bare conductor with spacer cable and replace 500 wooden poles with steel poles. The project will also rebuild 12 miles of transmission line to enhance safety and reliability.
• The Scott Bar project is replacing 60 miles of bare conductor with tree wire and will replace 1,500 wooden poles with fiberglass or steel poles. The project will also upgrade 4 miles of transmission line and 2 miles of power line will be buried underground.
• Pacific Power is working closely with Siskiyou County, the California Department of Transportation, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service on these projects.
• Some of these projects are funded in part through U.S. Department of Energy grants, helping keep costs lower for customers.

• The Seiad East project is under construction, with 3 miles completed. Construction on the remaining line segment is planned for 2025. 
• The Seiad West project is under construction, with 2 miles completed. Construction for the next segments is taking place in 2025. The project team is working with the California Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service to obtain permits for segments planned for construction in 2026. 
• The Happy Camp Core project was largely completed between 2022 and 2024. Two segments are planned for construction in 2025, pending approval of permits from the California Department of Transportation to underground a portion of power line adjacent to Highway 96. 
• The Happy Camp East project was completed in 2023. 
• The Happy Camp Indian Creek project is under construction, with the first segment completed and in service as of April 2025. Two additional segments are under construction in 2025. Work on the final four segments is scheduled for 2026, pending permit approvals. 
• The Scott Bar project is under construction on the northern end of the circuit. Construction work on the remaining 15 miles of line is underway and expected to finish in 2025. 

• Pacific Power Wildfire Safety
• PacifiCorp Wildfire Mitigation Plans