HEREFORD, Texas (May 16, 2018) – Xcel Energy has completed a new high-voltage transmission line and substation in Hereford, Texas, to improve the reliability of the existing system and to increase its capacity for moving more power as the city grows.

“The core industries that drive our regional economy have all experienced significant growth over the past decade, and it’s critical that we build out the system to serve this new demand and prepare for decades of additional economic expansion,” said Mike Grant, manager for Community and Economic Development in Hereford. 

In late March, the company energized a new 115-kilovolt transmission line running from its Northeast Hereford Substation to a new substation west of the existing Center Street Substation, which is too small to accommodate the new infrastructure needed to serve a 115-kilovolt line. The new substation, named La Plata in honor of the first county seat of Deaf Smith County, has been built on more than four acres of land Xcel Energy acquired from the city of Hereford. 

Transmission lines transport electricity from power sources into towns, cities and industrial areas. Substations transform electricity to lower voltages and send them along distribution lines that are located up and down city streets and alleys. A kilovolt is equal to 1,000 volts. 

The Northeast Hereford-La Plata project is part of a larger effort known as “Power for the Plains” that is enhancing the power grid across all of Xcel Energy’s Texas and New Mexico service area. Xcel Energy has invested in more than 800 miles of new transmission lines and more than 30 new substations across its Texas-New Mexico service area since 2011, along with upgrades to another 40 existing substations. More than 700 miles of additional line is expected to be completed by 2021, and an additional 27 substations will be built or upgraded. This transmission expansion represents more than $3 billion in investment. Learn more about current and upcoming projects at www.powerfortheplains.com (external link). 

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About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.