Supercharger - San Jose, CA - 55 Race St (under construction, 8 V4 stalls)

[Mrbrock]

It was the entire length of Race from Alameda to where I suspect the pull box is going, so I think there is something bigger then just this going on.

Was it towards where @1100MCM pointed out the power was coming from? Keeble, under garland to Race?

 

[YRide]

Was it towards where @1100MCM pointed out the power was coming from? Keeble, under garland to Race?

No, the previous work was in the purple. There is active trenching going on in the green section now. Red is the new super charger location, 55 Race, but it’s the annex parking lot which is more like 67 race (corner or race & Yosemite).

Anyways, good sign to see PGE actively working on this. When I’m back in town will prob wander by the construction and inquire with PGE folks.

 

[YRide]

I did swing by earlier this week and talked to the PGE crew working the site. As indicated by @1100MCM they are trenching and installing conduit from the SC site down Garland to corner of Garland & Keeble. Trenching is more or less done, but they still need the electric team (this was the gas/civil engineering team) to come pull the lines from the conduit, connect to the overhead, etc.

It’s unclear if the pull box is in the street, or under the big metal plate covering the hole on the property of the parking lot. Could this be the transformer pad location?

Weirdly, on the location where the plans indicate the transformer pad is going…they’ve just planted two new palm trees!

Maybe it can still fit between the curb and those trees?

Anyways, it does seem like this project is moving along, despite the whole mess with the super charger team layoffs and such. And all the Tesla equipment seems installed.

Hope this keeps on pace!

Btw, when it is live, it’s a small parking lot. Only one way in and out, not a lot of space to turn. That’s gonna be fun to watch everyone navigate…I expect frustration when it’s full and people are trying to queue and maneuver.

 

[Mrbrock]

I did swing by earlier this week and talked to the PGE crew working the site. As indicated by @1100MCM they are trenching and installing conduit from the SC site down Garland to corner of Garland & Keeble. Trenching is more or less done, but they still need the electric team (this was the gas/civil engineering team) to come pull the lines from the conduit, connect to the overhead, etc.

View attachment 1058772
View attachment 1058773

It’s unclear if the pull box is in the street, or under the big metal plate covering the hole on the property of the parking lot. Could this be the transformer pad location?

View attachment 1058776
View attachment 1058778

Weirdly, on the location where the plans indicate the transformer pad is going…they’ve just planted two new palm trees!

View attachment 1058779

Maybe it can still fit between the curb and those trees?

Anyways, it does seem like this project is moving along, despite the whole mess with the super charger team layoffs and such. And all the Tesla equipment seems installed.

Hope this keeps on pace!

Btw, when it is live, it’s a small parking lot. Only one way in and out, not a lot of space to turn. That’s gonna be fun to watch everyone navigate…I expect frustration when it’s full and people are trying to queue and maneuver.

That plate is the pull box, transformer is here according to these plans. About where those new palm trees are…unless it has been relocated closer to the curb in your picture.

 

[YRide]

That plate is the pull box, transformer is here according to these plans. About where those new palm trees are…unless it has been relocated closer to the curb in your picture.
View attachment 1058959

Yep, I saw on the plans previously. The space looked tight before. And it makes no sense that new trees (albeit young palms) were just planted there if the plans are to put the transformer pad right there.

Also, if the pad was going there, wouldn’t they have already trenched to it and installed conduit to the SC cabinets? Seems weird PGE would have to dig back to the SC cabinets and go in under them.

 

[Mrbrock]

Yep, I saw on the plans previously. The space looked tight before. And it makes no sense that new trees (albeit young palms) were just planted there if the plans are to put the transformer pad right there.

Also, if the pad was going there, wouldn’t they have already trenched to it and installed conduit to the SC cabinets? Seems weird PGE would have to dig back to the SC cabinets and go in under them.

There is plenty of room there for a transformer. Just not centered in the open space like the plans.

 

[YRide]

Drove by today and they have the vac-dig truck & excavator there doing the final bits of trenching for the pull box.

Spoke with the PGE guys and they were saying the insane thing is there is 11kV line running down Garland right to the pole on Race/Garland…but the PGE electric guys didn’t want a pole drop there, so they have to trench the entire length of Garland.

Anyways, they also said the Transformer pad is going right where it was on the site plan / permit. They have no idea who planted the palm trees, they said they just showed up one day between shifts on site…I guess those will be going, or get relocated.

Anyways, making good progress…they didn’t think it would be much longer!

 

[Mrbrock]

Drove by today and they have the vac-dig truck & excavator there doing the final bits of trenching for the pull box.

Spoke with the PGE guys and they were saying the insane thing is there is 11kV line running down Garland right to the pole on Race/Garland…but the PGE electric guys didn’t want a pole drop there, so they have to trench the entire length of Garland.

Anyways, they also said the Transformer pad is going right where it was on the site plan / permit. They have no idea who planted the palm trees, they said they just showed up one day between shifts on site…I guess those will be going, or get relocated.

Anyways, making good progress…they didn’t think it would be much longer!

Hmm, 1100mcm says that pole and line on Race is only 4kv unless you are talking a different pole than the one adjacent to the pull box.

They’re not pulling power from that pole or line on Race St.: it’s 4 kV so you’d need really big wire to handle it. They are actually trenching under Garland all the way back to Keeble and then coming up the pole there since that line is 12 kV.

 

[1100MCM]

Hmm, 1100mcm says that pole and line on Race is only 4kv unless you are talking a different pole than the one adjacent to the pull box.

I think some wires got crossed here with that conversation, no pun intended. Looking at Google Maps street view right now and yup, those lines there are 4 kV: there’s plenty of tell tale signs on all the equipment including one of the poles on Garland having a telecom antenna/repeater at the top of the pole. That tends to be a big no-no for shared poles on 12 kV distribution but it was likely allowed here because of the lower 4 kV.

 

[Mrbrock]

I think some wires got crossed here with that conversation, no pun intended. Looking at Google Maps street view right now and yup, those lines there are 4 kV: there’s plenty of tell tale signs on all the equipment including one of the poles on Garland having a telecom antenna/repeater at the top of the pole. That tends to be a big no-no for shared poles on 12 kV distribution but it was likely allowed here because of the lower 4 kV.

I would guess similar to Tesla installs, the people doing the work don’t necessarily know the whole picture yet like to talk like they know what they are doing.