Patriot Substation

TEP determined in 2017 that a 46-kV transformer and switchgear currently in service at the existing Davis-Monthan Substation are nearing the end of their useful lives. The Department of Defense also issued a directive in 2017 for all military installations to eliminate vulnerabilities that could result in energy disruptions.

TEP’s Patriot Substation is designed to improve service for area customers while satisfying Davis-Monthan energy resiliency goals. TEP has proposed building a new substation, switchyard and power lines on a 16-acre site purchased from the City of Tucson and located within Davis-Monthan boundaries.

The new substation will house two transformers and other equipment designed to change the voltage of electric facilities for distribution and delivery of electric service to area customers.

The substation will be built on a site currently used for the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) military aircraft storage.

• Supports Davis-Monthan efforts to meet energy resiliency objectives.
• Increases system capacity to help meet current and future energy needs for area customers.
• Provides reliability support to help TEP restore service more quickly to nearby customers affected by power outages.
• Supports economic development around Davis-Monthan.
• Supports TEP’s continual efforts to improve reliability by retiring aging 46kV substations.

In addition to hosting a March 2021 virtual neighborhood meeting, TEP invited neighbors and other stakeholders to submit questions and comments about its application to the City of Tucson for a Special Exception Land Use Permit (SELUP) to build the Patriot Substation. The SELUP was approved in July 2021 and the project’s development plan was approved in August 2021.

For more information about the City of Tucson’s development code, click the link below.

City of Tucson Unified Development Code

• Special Exception Land Uses: Section 3.4
• Zoning Examiner Special Exception Procedure: Section 3.4.3
• Commercial Zone: Section 4.7.20
• Permitted Uses: Commercial and Mixed Use Zones: Section 4.8.6 and Table 4.8-4
• Utilities Use Group Standards: Section 4.9.11

TEP held a virtual neighborhood meeting to discuss its application to the City of Tucson for a Special Exception Land Use Permit to build the Patriot Substation on March 15, 2021.

Livestream Recording
To view a recording of the livestream, click below or view on YouTube.