HOBBS, N.M. (NEWS RELEASE) – The following is a news release from Xcel Energy:
Xcel Energy has completed a vital transmission connection across the New Mexico-Texas line that is boosting power delivery capabilities in an area of strong economic growth. Work is now complete on the Yoakum-to-Hobbs 345-kilovolt transmission project, a 64-mile electric transmission line between the Yoakum County Substation near Plains, Texas, and the Hobbs Substation northwest of Hobbs, N.M. The new line connects with a segment of 345-kilovolt line built last year from Hobbs to the China Draw Substation southeast of Carlsbad, N.M.
“Oil and gas development in the Delaware Basin is a leading driver in the need to boost transmission reliability and move more power into New Mexico,” said David Hudson, president, Xcel Energy – New Mexico, Texas. “But all customers on either side of the New Mexico-Texas line benefit from this significant upgrade because a stronger transmission network is more efficient and more cost effective.” The Yoakum-Hobbs line is one segment of a 254-mile high-voltage corridor from Texas to New Mexico that will be fully in service by June 1, 2020. Work continues on a 345-kilovolt line that will link Yoakum County Substation east to the TUCO Substation north of Abernathy, Texas, completing the project. The new lines boost the region’s connection with a wider power market operated by the Southwest Power Pool, which enables Xcel Energy to tap cheaper and more abundant sources of power while opening new markets for clean energy generated by area wind farms and solar plants.
Xcel Energy’s regional transmission grid is made up of more than 7,700 miles of transmission lines that move electricity from power sources into towns, cities and industrial areas. Substations transform electricity to lower voltages and send it along distribution lines that are located up and down city streets
and alleys. A kilovolt is equal to 1,000 volts.
The Texas-New Mexico 345-kilovolt transmission line projects are part of the $3 billion “Power for the Plains” initiative launched in 2011 to boost the reliability and capacity of the region’s power grid to serve a growing economy and support the transition to a clean energy future. More information on the Yoakum-Hobbs line and all the transmission projects built and planned for the region can be found at www.powerfortheplains.com.
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.
(News release from Xcel Energy)