Southwestern Utah substation to improve area electric service
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), Deseret Power and Rocky Mountain Power officials are touting the benefits of a southwestern Utah substation stemming from mutual cooperation and planning.
The Purgatory Flat substation addition to the electric network would provide service for existing customers in the area and provide for growth while also increasing flexibility to re-route power in the event of service interruptions from weather or other causes and aid overall system reliability.
The effort began in 2005 under a joint operation and interconnection agreement that spurred the study of future transmission requirements for southwestern Utah. Studies identified a number of transmission improvement projects to meet growing electric service needs of customers served by the electric providers.
The work produced more than $400 million of new investment in transmission lines, substations, and related equipment during the past 15 years.
The utility providers estimate the new substation will supply 166 megawatts of capacity to customers of the participating utilities, which is the equivalent to the annual use of more than 80,000 typical homes.
The substation will transform voltage from transmission lines to distribution circuits that serve customers, per operating guidelines, also containing protective equipment and switching facilities to ensure reliable service, system maintenance, and power interruption management.
