Xcel Energy has completed a major high-voltage transmission project in Gray and Wheeler counties in the eastern Texas Panhandle that will help sustain industrial development and position the regional economy for continued growth as electricity demand increases.
On March 2, the company energized a new 115-kV, 38-mile transmission line between the Bowers Substation near Lefors in Gray County and the Howard Substation in the city of Wheeler in Wheeler County. The $39 million project also includes significant upgrades at both the Bowers and Howard substations to accommodate the new line.
“The demands on the transmission network have grown over the past decade with increased oil and gas drilling and the ensuing growth in industries that add value to these raw materials,” said Donnie TeBeest, Xcel Energy project manager. “Without the new line, it would have been a challenge to regulate the flow of power in that area while meeting the growing needs for electricity.”