Tucson Estates Substation

With continuing residential and commercial growth in southwest Tucson, energy demand has nearly exceeded the available capacity of existing electrical facilities. TEP is planning to build a 138 kV distribution substation on 15 acres near South Kinney Road and West Ajo Highway in southwest Tucson. This area is currently served by the 46-kV Bopp-Donald and Bilby substations.

The new substation is needed to expand system capacity and support customers current and future energy needs. New facilities will help reduce the frequency and duration of power outages in the area, improving service reliability for customers.

TEP has submitted a Preliminary Site Plan to Pima Couty that shows the proposed configuration of the Tucson Estates Substation. The Tucson Estates Substation will be designed to be compatible with surrounding residential, transportation, and utility development. The substation’s exterior walls will be located at least 200 feet from the nearest residential property. The site was designed to consider site hydrology, required property setbacks, location of existing infrastructure, configuration of transformers and switching equipment, and other factors.

Map of Proposed Tucson Estates Substation location (click to enlarge)

If you have any questions, please contact Jenna Reilly, Environmental and Land Use Planner at jenna.reilly@tep.com or (520) 734-5488.