Station J substation

To help maintain grid reliability, we’re developing a new electrical substation, Station J, on a 10.3-acre site in a developed area of downtown Sacramento. Throughout the project, we’ll remove existing structures onsite and construct new infrastructure to connect Station J and our nearby existing electrical facilities. Station J is designed to minimize disruption to nearby communities and to support the City of Sacramento’s long-term planning goals.  

Project benefits

Substations are critical links in delivering electricity. Electricity travels through power lines to substations where the voltage of the power is reduced to send to homes or businesses.

Station J expands our existing grid by increasing capacity and providing safe and reliable electrical service to existing customers and proposed developments in the midtown and downtown areas of Sacramento.

Station J and the new power lines will:

  • Improve energy reliability and capacity in midtown and downtown.
  • Create built-in system backups to minimize service interruptions.
  • Allow for more flexible maintenance of our electric system.

Location

Station J is located on North B St. and North 14th St., in the River District just north of downtown Sacramento.

Anticipated activities

  • Demolition
    The site will be vacated then crews will begin removal, clearing, remediation and cleanup to prepare for construction. All hazardous materials will be removed and disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations. A security fence will be installed around the perimeter of Station J during the final stages of the demolition. 
  • Substation work
    Substation construction will be performed in the area surrounded by North 14th St., North B St., part of 12th St. and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Adjacent sidewalks will be closed, and partial street closures may be required during construction. A new perimeter wall will be installed around Station J with two main entry gates – one on North B St. and one on North 14th St.
  • Overhead power line work

    Crews will install two separate circuits to extend overhead lines to the west to two utility poles that will be installed near the east corner of North 18th St. and Basler St.

  • Underground power line work
    Crews will install underground circuits in a protective pathway from the new utility poles to Station J, then west along North B St. and south along North 7th St.

Timeline

Activities begin late 2025 and continue through 2028:

  • Demolition: Q4 2025 to Q1 2026
  • Construction: Q2 2026 - Q4 2028

We’re committed to keeping the community informed about this project and will update this page with information about schedule, construction and progress updates.

Environmental impacts

We performed a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessment and prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Station J EIR can be viewed in our CEQA reports.

Questions?

For questions about this project, please email StationJ@smud.org or call Dennis Lindner at 1-916-732-5410.