It takes years of planning, engineering, testing and construction to add a power substation to the grid. When done right, though, the payoff is a boost in capacity and reliability for decades to come.
Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative members in western Henderson County will see that benefit as a substation in Tool is nearing completion this summer. The substation’s first massive power transformer was delivered recently, the last major piece of the project.
Weighing in at more than 40,000 pounds, moving and placing the transformer was a serious undertaking. However, once it is up and running, it should provide decades of service to the area.
The new substation is a joint project with Rayburn Country Electric Cooperative, which serves as TVEC’s generation and transmission provider.
“This substation will give us more flexibility to control our substation capacity and adjust coordination more quickly than with another provider,” said Tim Craig, TVEC’s manager of Engineering.
The new substation has also been built with future growth in mind, with space already allotted for a second power transformer and all of the necessary infrastructure in place.
TVEC linemen Shane Bardin and Coin Pool prepare a new substation transformer for a crane lift to its permanent home in the new Tool substation.
Don Johnson
Along with the substation facility itself, new lines have been constructed to get power out to TVEC members in a way that is more flexible during outage situations.
“We have designed this in a way that gives us maximum ability to move loads around as needed due to seasonal demand, and to keep power on to as many members as possible during any storm response or emergency,” Craig said.
As the TVEC service area continues to add population and business growth, your co-op is working to make sure the electrical capacity is in place to meet the need while delivering on the promise of reliable power at a reasonable cost.
