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The Phoenix metropolitan area continues to be a fast-growing urban area, with an ever-increasing demand for electricity. We’re developing power lines and siting new facilities to help meet this demand.                      
                      
                      
                       
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Arizona Public Service Company (APS) is in the process of determining a location for a new 69 kilovolt (kV) electric substation in downtown Phoenix.
 
Voltage: 69/12kV
 
Estimated completion date: Site location 2018, substation complete 2021
 
Location: Downtown Phoenix
 
project need
Ensure reliable and adequate power for the vibrant and growing downtown Phoenix community.
 
project description
The electric system serving downtown Phoenix is made up of multiple substations and power lines. These substations are located in residential and commercial areas. The loss of any one of the 69kV lines or substations may result in power outages in the area until repairs can be made. Outages are often a result of powerful storms in the area or even vehicle accidents. Adding new facilities will improve reliability and help ensure APS has adequate power available to meet the electrical needs in the vibrant and growing downtown area.
 
To maintain reliable electric service and accommodate future load growth, APS plans to add a few new substations in the downtown area over the next several years. APS’s initial and more immediate need is to acquire a one-acre property for a new substation in the area roughly defined as 7th Street to Central Ave, Fillmore Street to Moreland Street. This new substation will require new 69 kV power lines to connect into the existing electrical system currently serving the area. These power lines will connect the new substation to the existing 69 kV overhead power lines along Roosevelt Street.
 
your input is important to aps

An important component of this process is to gather input from residents, tenants, property owners, businesses, and community organizations within the study area. Three open houses were held on February 27th, March 9th and March 15th to allow members of the public and all interested parties to join APS, talk one-on-one about the need and benefits of the project, and provide input on potential sites for the project as well as architectural design elements.

Input gathered at the first set of meetings has been evaluated and analyzed. When developing alternatives APS evaluates many criteria including; environmental impacts, engineering and construction feasibility, land acquisition timing and costs, regulatory approvals, potential impacts to existing and planned neighborhoods and developments, and input from the public and agencies.  Numerous sites have been evaluated and APS has now reduced the number of available options to two sites. APS plans to share this information with the public at an open house scheduled for October 10th from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Roosevelt Community Church located at 924 N. 1st Street in downtown Phoenix. APS will share the latest information, discuss remaining alternatives, and receive further input and feedback from the public. APS will continue to meet with local jurisdictional leaders and affected stakeholders as the project progresses. APS anticipates having a final site selection towards the end of 2018.

public open house events

APS has scheduled its next public open house for October 10th from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Roosevelt Community Church located at 924 N. 1st Street in downtown Phoenix.  Local residents and stakeholders have been notified by mail of this important meeting where they can learn about the potential sites, our site selection process and provide valuable input on possible architectural designs. Please continue to check this web page for further information as the project moves forward.


project updates

Throughout the planning process, this webpage will be maintained with the latest information.  Question or comments on the Project can be directed to Kendra Lee, APS Program Manager at 602-371-7872 or by email at downtown.substations@aps.com. We look forward to your feedback.

 
related documents 
Potential Substation Sites
Architecture Elements Board for substation  
Downtown Substation Open Houses Mailing
Open House #1 Display Boards
October Open House Mailing


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north peoria 69kV power line siting
voltage?
estimated completion date
location
69 kV
Phase 1 - 2021
North Peoria
project description​

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) is developing a plan to build new energy facilities to better serve the growing population in the northern region of Peoria. APS continually monitors its electrical system and, when necessary, adds or upgrades facilities. These improvements enhance reliability and help ensure that an adequate supply of electric power is available to customers.

To maintain reliable electric service and accommodate future load growth, APS has determined the need to build new substations and associated 69 kilovolt (kV) power lines in the North Peoria region, as shown within the study area on the map below. These facilities would generally be located within or adjacent to the new Vistancia North, Lake Pleasant Heights, and Saddleback Heights developments. A network of 69kV power lines would be constructed to bring power from existing substations and power lines near the east side of the study area to new substations located near developing communities to the west and north side of the study area.

A total of four new substations and interconnecting 69kV power lines are included in this siting process. APS anticipates the first substation (Substation W03) and related 69kV lines to be in service in mid-to-late 2021, located near the Vistancia North and Lake Pleasant Heights developments (see Phase 1, Substation W03 Siting area on the map below). Although the remaining three substations and interconnecting lines are part of this siting effort, it is anticipated that these facilities would not need to be constructed for 5 to 10 (or more) years, based on current housing development projections.
 
​project planning  

In early 2018, APS hired Environmental Planning Group (EPG) to assist in evaluating substation sites and route alternatives, to assess potential environmental impacts, and to support the public outreach process. Baseline information about existing and planned land use, visual, biological, and recreational resources for the area were collected and analyzed early in the process.

When the alternatives were developed, APS evaluated many criteria, including: environmental impacts, engineering and construction feasibility, land acquisition timing and costs, regulatory approvals, potential impacts to existing and planned neighborhoods, and input from agencies and the public.

Briefings were held with various stakeholders throughout the process, including local developers, and representatives and officials from state and federal agencies and the City of Peoria, to inform them of the proposed project, followed by two rounds of newsletter mailings and public open houses.  At each open house, the public was able to learn about the project need as well as how the siting process is carried out, and had the opportunity to provide their input on possible line routes and substation locations. We have received hundreds of comments concerning the project through the open houses, the project website, mail, email, and by telephone.

Using the siting criteria mentioned above, including the public input, potential power line routes were developed and evaluated. All comments, input, and data gathered to date has been logged and the results were used to identify the Selected Routes (see map below). City officials have been briefed on the status of the project and informed about the Selected Routes.

The new segments of the 69kV power lines will be built on steel poles, capable of a double 69kV circuit configuration (each circuit consists of 3 wires). It is anticipated that the new poles would be approximately 65 feet in height. The line segments would require a right-of-way or easement approximately 40 to 60 feet in width to construct, operate, and maintain the facilities. Each 69/12kV substation is expected to be built within a 3- to 5-acre site, and the 230/69kV substation (TS14) will require approximately 15 to 20 acres.

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Final Substation Site and Line Route for Phase 1

APS has identified Substation Site No. 2 and the “North” route alignment, as presented at the November open houses, as final facility locations for Phase 1. The new power line will begin at the existing 69kV power line located on the west side of Highway 303, near the Central AZ Project (CAP) canal.  The power line will proceed westerly, parallel the CAP canal right of way, and cross over the [CAP aqueduct] mountain to a point near the base of the mountain where it will then cross over the CAP canal to the south and into the new substation (see map below). Access roads will be necessary for construction and maintenance of these lines, and reasonable efforts will be made to mitigate visual impacts to the nearby residents.  With the final route selected, APS will begin to acquire land rights, complete design, and obtain permits for construction of Phase 1. We anticipate construction of the substation and power line to begin early-to-mid 2020, and the project is planned to be complete and energized by mid-to-late 2021.

 
north peoria siting map - phase 1
   
 

Final Substation Sites and Line Routes for Phase 2

APS has identified the power line routes and substation sites shown for Phase 2, per the attached map. Most routes will parallel roadways of future developments, based on current land-use plats. Route option 4 (shown on previous maps) was proposed to run parallel with the CAP canal near the current and future Vistancia developments, but has been removed from the final routes. As a result, the line connection between substation sites W04 and W05 will be necessary, and largely follow future road alignments as shown on current city plans. Phase 2 of the Project has an identified need of 5-10 (or more) years out, depending on the timing of the future regional developments, but identifies conceptual Phase 2 alignments/locations now to allow for the integration of this information into pertinent agency or private development plans. This includes two 69kV substations (W04 and W05) and one 230kV substation (TS14). Although the final substation size will be much smaller than the Phase 2 Substation Siting Areas, as currently identified on the map, these large areas (ranging in size from approximately 50 acres to 130 acres) allow for some flexibility in integrating a substation site into future development plans. APS recognizes that development plats sometimes change prior to their final recording, and any changes made would account for and accommodate these power lines and substations prior to the city approval and recording of said plats.

 
            

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project updates 
 
APS would like to thank you for your interest and participation in the project. Although the siting process is now complete, this webpage will be maintained with the latest information. Questions can be submitted to an APS Siting Consultant at NorthPeoriaSiting@apsc.com.
 
FAQ
   
related documents ​

 February 2019 Newsletter

Open House #2 Display Boards
November 2018 Newsletter
April 2018 Newsletter        
Open House #1 Display Boards    

 
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oak creek substation to mcguireville substation 69kV power line siting project
voltage
estimated completion date
location
69 kV
summer 2019
oak creek/mcguireville area
project need
Connect the Oak Creek Substation to the McGuireville Substation. Ensure reliability for customers throughout the Oak Creek and McGuireville area.

project description​
 
APS continually monitors its electrical system and, when necessary, adds or upgrades facilities. These improvements enhance reliability and help ensure that an adequate supply of electric power is available to customers.
 
The purpose of this project is to increase the reliability in the area by connecting the McGuireville Substation (located near Cornville Road and Restoration Loop) and the Oak Creek Substation (near Highway 179 and Jacks Canyon Road) with a new 69kV sub-transmission line. This will minimize the loss of the ability to serve customers in the Oak Creek area, McGuireville, and Cornville in the event of outages on either the existing Verde to Capital Butte 69kV line, and/or the Quail Springs to McGuireville 69kV line.
 
The primary reason for connecting the project at both the Oak Creek and McGuireville substations is that the substations are each at the end of long radial segments of line. A radial line is a line that serves a substation without a redundant or backup power line from another source. By connecting Oak Creek and McGuireville substations, it connects the radial power lines at each substation, and provides backup for each line as described above.
 
The new segments of the 69kV power line will be built on steel poles and will be a single 69kV circuit configuration (three wires per circuit). Some portions of the line, depending on routing, may consolidate with existing single circuit poles creating a double 69kV circuit configuration (six total wires on the same pole). The new 69kV power line may be constructed in a new alignment or added in areas where some lines already exist. It is anticipated that any new poles would be approximately 65 feet in height, similar to existing 69kV lines in the area. The line segments would require a right-of-way or easement approximately 30 to 40 feet in width to construct, operate, and maintain the facility.
 

project description​

In mid 2018, APS hired Environmental Planning Group (EPG) to assist in evaluating route alternatives, to assess potential environmental impacts, and to support the public outreach process. Baseline information about land use, visual, biological, cultural, and recreational resources for the area has been collected. This information has been used for the development of preliminary route alternatives within the study area. Because the route alignment will cross U.S. Forest Service land, we are coordinating with the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District, and will move forward with future permitting efforts in the next phases of the siting process.

 
When developing route alternatives, APS evaluates many criteria, including: environmental impacts, engineering and construction feasibility, land acquisition timing and costs, regulatory approvals, potential impacts to existing and planned neighborhoods, and input from agencies and the public.
 
APS and EPG have identified a project study area and have held briefings with jurisdictional representatives including the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, Yavapai County Public Works Department, the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council, and the Beaver Creek Community Association, about the proposed project, and to solicit input from them.

 

public input is important​

An important component of this siting process is to receive input from residents, tenants, property owners, and businesses within the study area. Members of the public and all interested parties are invited to join APS for an open house on (Date and location to be determined) to learn about the purpose and need for the project, the project siting process, the development of preliminary route alternatives, and to ask questions and provide input.

 

Following the public meeting, APS, with EPG's assistance, will evaluate the input gathered and will analyze and further develop line route alternatives.

 

After the data has been analyzed, APS will move forward in coordination with the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District into the federal permitting phase of the process. As directed by the Red Rock District, additional outreach materials will be distributed showing final line route alternatives and ways for the public to continue to stay involved with the project.

 

As the process moves forward, the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District, along with APS and EPG, will evaluate all the information received throughout the process. Based on these evaluations, the Red Rock District, in coordination with APS and EPG, will select the final preferred route. Information from the Red Rock District will follow sharing information about the selected alternative.


 

project updates

Throughout the planning process, this webpage will be maintained with the latest information. Comments can be submitted directly to Kevin Duncan, APS Senior Siting Consultant, at oakcreekmcguireville@apsc.com.
 

            

            

            

            

completed projects
​Our completed power line and facility siting projects will go a long way toward meeting our state’s ever-increasing demand for electricity.

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