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Safford to modernize substation gear and accelerate pole and transformer replacements
Summary
Electric utilities staff reported planned pole replacements, transformer refurbishments, a safety upgrade to a metal‑clad bypass bus at the substation, and a long‑term new substation plan for redundancy and load growth.
Mike, who led the electric presentation, outlined a multi‑year program of maintenance and equipment replacement intended to improve safety and reliability.
He described a safety issue at the substation: older metal‑clad switchgear and a bypass bus that leave employees exposed to high voltages. "You have 7,200 volts right in front of you," Mike said, and recommended replacing the metal‑clad equipment with modern dead‑front gear. The electric group also continues annual wood pole replacements, transformer change‑outs (about 65 transformers replaced in the prior fiscal year), distribution gang switch upgrades, capacitor improvements to manage voltage and power quality, and an arc‑flash coordination study tied to protective device placement.
Staff said a new substation remains a long‑term project (2031 target in the CIP) to provide an alternate transmission feed and support load growth; in the near term they are adding equipment storage and better pole storage racks to protect materials. Mike and staff noted lead times for electric equipment are long and advance procurement is necessary to meet schedules.
