Arizona Public Service (APS) recently concluded work on one of the biggest transmission construction projects in the West.
The project connects Phoenix to Yuma with a 500-kilovolt power line. This will improve the reliability of electricity for people living in the Yuma region as well as the desert southwest.
The transmission line runs for 110 miles, starting at the Hassayampa substations, which is near the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, to Yuma’s North Gila substation. The project, which cost $200 million, is nicknamed HANG2 and is the second power route that will connect Yuma to the valley.
“When planning for Arizona’s energy future, we look out 10 to 15 years to ensure our customers always have the reliable energy they have come to expect from APS,” Pat Dinkel, APS vice president of Transmission and Distribution Operations, said. “HANG2 is essentially like adding a second extension cord to our customers in Yuma. Residents and business owners in the area will have an ample supply of reliable power to run their businesses and be comfortable in their homes, even as Yuma continues to grow.”
Planning for the HANG2 line began more than a decade ago as the population in the area began to rapidly expand.
“Whether for new power lines or power plants, the long lead time associated with planning and construction means APS must always be looking years ahead to meet current and future power needs,” Dinkel said. “This is part of our obligation to ensure a reliable energy supply for our customers — a role we take very seriously, and embrace throughout the state.
Construction on HANG2 began in August 2013.
”This project was a huge undertaking, and not just because of its size,” Dinkel said. “The transmission line was constructed in some of the most isolated parts of the state, across remote locations of the Southwest desert, and through the rugged terrain of the Laguna and Muggins mountains – with an emphasis on core APS values of contractor and employee safety, and on environmental sensitivity and care.”
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