Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
AEP, MEDC and city discuss Buddy Owen substation, EMF, noise and regional transmission needs
Summary
AEP representatives briefed the McAllen City Commission and stakeholders on substation safety, electromagnetic fields and noise measurements, site-selection criteria for the proposed Buddy Owen substation, and broader regional transmission projects that the city’s economic development leaders say are necessary to attract industry.
City and utility officials used a joint workshop with the Public Utility Board to explain why AEP is planning a new substation, how site selection works, and what studies the utility has done addressing safety, electromagnetic fields (EMF) and noise.
Rick Garcia, plant engineer with AEP Texas, described rapid customer growth in the region and said 20 percent of AEP’s customers in the local footprint are in McAllen: “We have about 62,000 customers,” he said. Garcia said customer growth in the Rio Grande Valley over the past three years has required planning for additional substations; he added AEP currently has five substations in McAllen and is planning for up to five more within five years.
Aaron Keithley, AEP protection and control supervisor, addressed safety, EMF and noise concerns. He said substations are built to national safety standards and undergo routine inspections,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
