USA, California: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced that the Monterey substation upgrade is in its final stages and will soon be fully operational. The project, which is expected to go live in the next few months, will improve capacity and reliability for the local power grid, particularly serving Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Pacific Grove.
According to Mike McCarty, senior manager of electric distribution planning for PG&E, the work includes significant equipment upgrades, including the installation of a new transformer and two new feeders. The project has also involved voltage conversion from 4 kV to 21 kV to meet modern energy demands.
The total cost of the project exceeds $40 M, and the work essentially amounts to a substation rebuild. The upgraded substation will provide power to 7,500 homes in the coastal region and is designed to support future growth.
On the reliability side, PG&E anticipates a 50 % reduction in outages, thanks to improved infrastructure. By reducing the number of customers per circuit and shortening line lengths, the upgrade will make it easier for PG&E to reroute power during planned maintenance and unplanned outages.
This upgrade follows a series of winter storms that caused significant outages across Monterey County. Jeremy Howard, PG&E’s regional senior manager, highlighted that the storm damage underscored the need for improved power flexibility. The new substation will help restore power faster to customers while repairs are made.
Source: Monterey Herald
