Currents of Change: Chamber Roundtable + Tour Visits New Glenwood Substation

Business News, Chamber News, Event Recap, Events and Programs

September 26, 2025

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While the average person might take clean water and reliable power for granted on a day-to-day basis, the folks behind the Springfield Utility Board are constantly working to not only ensure these are available today, but ready to accommodate future growth. On a warm day in September, Springfield Chamber members gathered to learn about SUB’s 75 years of providing utilities to the area, while getting an up-close look at the newest infrastructure supporting the area’s growing demand.

Starting at the Springfield History Museum, attendees spent time exploring the museum’s newest featured exhibit, PosSUBilities: 75 Years of the Springfield Utility Board. Aptly named, the exhibit includes artifacts, historic documents, and other memorabilia from SUB’s humble beginnings, while also shining a spotlight on the infrastructure that utility customers enjoy today. This exhibit is open to the public and will run until December 27, 2025.

After exploring the museum, Chamber members climbed aboard two buses provided by My Party Bus for a short trip to one of SUB’s newest infrastructure additions, the Glenwood Substation.

Jeff Nelson, General Manager of SUB, started the program by giving the audience background on SUB’s unique structure. “SUB is a customer-owned, independent agency that operates on behalf of the City of Springfield” Nelson explained. It is not a department of the City, but rather governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors, who are also unpaid volunteers. He expressed thanks to the board, as well as those in attendance for taking the time to learn more about SUB’s future growth; then, Nelson introduced Sanjeev King, Director of Electrical Engineering and Operations, to speak on the Glenwood Substation and other electricity-related projects in more detail.

Standing among the breakers, switches, and 117,960 pound custom transformer, attendees heard from King that Springfield’s 9th substation will be energized and operating as soon as 2026. This follows a series of strategic moves dating back to 2000, when SUB acquired the nearby Alvey-Springfield 115kV transmission line from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). In the next year, SUB will connect a newly built transmission line along I-5 to the existing 115kV line, effectively powering the substation. “Once operational,” states SUB’s website, “this substation will support the approximately 800 existing residential and business customers in Glenwood, add capacity for additional development of residential neighborhoods and businesses in the area, and provide extra resiliency to adjacent neighborhoods in Springfield, including West Centennial and Downtown.”

“SUB has a long history and tradition of planning – looking forward, trying to anticipate the needs of the community, and starting the process of designing and constructing critical infrastructure so that when the time comes, we are ready to serve the community.”

– Sanjeev King, Director of Electrical Engineering and Operations, Springfield Utility Board

King mentioned a prime example of SUB’s success in planning ahead being the ability to serve the Marcola Meadows development, which brought around 450 single-family homes and 312 apartments to Springfield. That development began a master planning process around the same time that SUB’s Olympic Substation, according to King, “was commissioned around 2007, 2008.” And while there were ups and downs on the development side, King assured that “having that [substation] in place in advance of the development of Marcola Meadows allowed that to have really low capacity restraints and issues.”

It’s no secret that the Glenwood area’s revitalization is top of mind for Springfield, as the Springfield Economic Development Agency (SEDA) of the City of Springfield has recently announced the annexation of a large parcel of Glenwood into Springfield proper. For those who attended the Chamber’s previous tour of the annexed property along the riverfront, this tour paired well.

Questions from the audience included those about the Glenwood Substation’s permitting process (which reportedly – and not surprisingly – dragged on for years), project costs, and future goals for the region.

SUB’s Water Division Director, Greg Miller, wrapped up the program speaking on infrastructure investments being done on the water side. Notably, SUB is taking on a new surface-water treatment project on the Mckenzie river. “Once available,” SUB’s website explains, “the new McKenzie River source will be able to meet Springfield’s supply needs while adding needed system resiliency.” While not visible, Miller also provided an overview of the water infrastructure co-located on the Glenwood site. “In water, we bury our best work,” joked Miller.

Below, a video from SUB’s website shows the Glenwood Substation transformer being delivered and placed by a crane:

The Springfield Chamber of Commerce is grateful to their partners at Springfield Utility Board, the Springfield History Museum, and My Party Bus for making this event possible. They also thank their Chamber Members for taking advantage of the Roundtable + Tour program, and for actively participating in discussions with one another and local leaders.

More about the Roundtable program
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly Chamber Roundtable Series fosters interactive discussions on legislation and policy, community and economic development, and workforce and talent. Quarterly, these Roundtables will be coupled with an on-location business tour exploring some of the many unique industry leaders throughout the Springfield area.