Husky Substation Project

Location: Colorado

Areas of Expertise: Substation

Hooper and Xcel Energy continue collaboration efforts to modernize and enhance the electrical power infrastructure in Colorado. Hooper’s Electric Power Division is currently building a new substation located an hour north of Denver, near the city of Ault. This initiative is part of Xcel’s comprehensive and long-term Northern Colorado Area Plan, aimed at meeting and expanding clean energy resources for present and future customers.

The new Husky Substation is a large-scale construction project that features additional transmission sources and electrical equipment in four different voltage classes – 230/115/44/13.8kV. The initial site construction includes a 230kV line to Ault, a four 115kV breaker ring bus, a 115kV line to Cloverly, a 230/115kV autotransformer, a 115/44kV autotransformer, and a 115/13.8kV transformer, a 44kV line to Continental Substation, and a 6-cubicle 13.8kV metal-clad switchgear with three feeders and a dual-stage 9.6MVAR capacitor bank. These upgraded voltages will increase the capacity and modernize the load-serving capability in the area.

The biggest challenge on the project has been material lead times. Our crew has closely monitored inventory and provided the material coordinators with lists of crucial equipment ahead of time to try and mitigate down time on the project.

Hooper facilitated additional scopes of work beyond the original contract that were not outlined during the bid process. Our crew also worked closely with the engineering team to determine some areas for field changes to the design, which created a more efficient installation process.