Brief outages expected as Alliant hooks up new downtown substation

CEDAR RAPIDS - Alliant Energy is planning to activate the new RiverRun substation in southeast Cedar Rapids, a process that will require a series of brief localized outages.

The effort will mark completion of a new electrical backbone for downtown Cedar Rapids and nearby areas, the company said. It will replace the Cedar Temporary substation built in a matter of weeks after the June 2008 flood.

Alliant said customers will be switched over to the new substation beginning in late March, a process that will be staggered over several months.

Customers will be notified by letters and phone calls if they will experience an outage. Dates, times and frequency of outages will be determined by where customers are located on the electrical system, Alliant spokesman Scott Drcyzimski said.

Not all downtown customers will experience outages. A limited number of larger customers west of the river could experience an outage. Some customers may be affected twice, Drcyzimski said. Most outages will last about an hour, but some could take longer.

The outages are currently expected to occur at 6 a.m. on various Sunday mornings beginning March 25.

Large industrial customers affected will be moved to the new substation over holidays or during their planned outages later this year.