AEP, MEDC and city discuss Buddy Owen substation, EMF, noise and regional transmission needs

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, and that fires or explosions at substations are “extremely rare.” He described measured magnetic-field levels at five local substations and said the highest reading in AEP’s recent study was about 40 milligauss — well below levels AEP described as being of concern — and that field strength falls sharply with distance from the equipment. On noise, AEP said substations are designed to operate within typical community-noise ranges (often below 60 decibels) and that traffic noise can be the larger source in many locations.

Joey Maldonado from AEP’s real estate division described the search for property for the Buddy Owen substation in the North Benson/Buddy Owens area and said the utility prefers sites under existing transmission lines and with commercial or industrial zoning to minimize residential impacts. Maldonado said AEP considered several parcels and purchased a tract zoned for commercial/industrial use after consulting with the city’s zoning staff.

City economic development and MEDC representatives framed the substation discussion in broader regional transmission terms. MEDC speakers said McAllen lacks adequate transmission capacity to pursue large industrial projects such as data centers and semiconductor facilities, and they urged the city to seek inclusion in statewide transmission studies so long-term projects such as a 765-kV extension could be routed to serve the Rio Grande Valley. A city official said a 345-kV line serving the area is scheduled for completion in 2026, while a 765-kV program will be constructed over several years and would require formal study requests and city action to seek inclusion.

Commissioners and AEP representatives also discussed operational details: AEP said the North McAllen substation is loaded to approximately 97 percent of its capability, explaining the utility’s need to offload load and site a new substation for reliability. City leaders said they want more proactive regional planning and earlier resident engagement on future siting decisions.

Quotes from the workshop included technical and outreach-focused remarks intended to clarify safety, siting and the relationship between local substation needs and larger state transmission planning. AEP representatives said they will share measurement studies and independent research references on EMF and noise with city staff and interested residents.

The workshop concluded without a formal vote on a specific substation site; AEP said it has equipment on hand and that construction, once permitted and sited, could be completed in months, but that long-lead transformer orders and permitting make realistic timelines multiple years in many cases.