Juneautown Substation

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Areas of Expertise: Substation

Hooper’s Electric Power Division contributed to a groundbreaking substation project in downtown Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. We Energies developed the Juneautown Substation, uniquely integrating it into the basement of a seven-story, mixed-use building—a first-of-its-kind design blending energy infrastructure with urban development. This innovative approach required enhanced safety measures and advanced engineering not typical of standard substations.

The underground, concrete-encased substation was built 13 feet below street level to allow for transmission line entry and distribution feeder exits. With the area’s water table just seven feet deep, We Energies led the complex planning necessary for safe, below-grade construction. Due to the intricate electrical interconnections between the substation and the building above, grounding and bonding expertise was essential.

Hooper was brought in to handle these critical grounding and bonding tasks. Working closely with We Energies, Hooper crews established a dedicated bond between the substation’s ground system and the development’s utility infrastructure. This ensured all systems had a safe, effective return path that bypassed the building’s steel and water systems.

Inside the control room, Hooper grounded electrical panels, modified the ground bus with jumpers, and installed direct current (DC) and control cables. Additional work included constructing high-voltage terminations on transformer cables, grounding transformers, and bonding metal grating across all bays. In the reactor rooms, crews installed ground bus systems, bonded entry gates, and prepared connections for reactor cables. The project was completed with thorough fire caulking for all conduits and cables.

Planning began in 2013 due to the complexity of the project. The substation became operational in December 2020, with the commercial and residential complex finished in 2021.

Today, the Juneautown Substation powers government facilities, residential towers, and commercial clients including Henry Maier Festival Park, home of Milwaukee’s Summerfest.