Oncor Electric Delivery Co. is considering using alleys for new power lines in the downtown area rather than installing new poles along major streets, but that alternative could cost the city of Waco millions of dollars, Oncor officials told the Waco City Council on Tuesday.
About a month ago, the electric distribution company began planning new power lines along Franklin Avenue and Washington Avenue to improve system reliability and serve future growth in the downtown Waco area.
Downtown for years has been served by the Waco East substation on the east bank of the Brazos River near Interstate 35. Oncor recently built a new substation at Mary Avenue and 26th Street to take pressure off the Waco East station as well as the Waco South and Colonial substations.
Oncor plans to use this new substation at 26th Street and Mary Avenue to provide power to downtown Waco.
Oncor officials say extending new lines from the Mary Avenue station into downtown would allow Oncor to supplement or “back-stand” its existing power connection to downtown, increasing reliability and capacity.
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The city of Waco and its Tax Increment Financing Zone in recent years have spent millions of dollars to hide or bury power lines along downtown streets, including parts of Franklin Avenue and around Magnolia Market at the Silos and along the riverfront.
Oncor officials told the Waco City Council on Tuesday the company is considering moving the proposed power lines to neighboring alleyways to keep them at a distance from pedestrians.
Lines and electrical equipment crowd an alley between Columbus and Washington avenues in downtown Waco. Oncor is considering alleys as an alternative route for new downtown power lines.
Andrew Toliver, senior distribution engineer with Burns & McDonnell, the firm planning the project, presented multiple alternatives for the proposed lines.
The lines slated for Franklin Avenue could be moved to the alley between Franklin and Austin Avenue at no additional charge, or they could be moved to the alley between Franklin and Mary Avenue. The second option would cost the city $2.9 million to bury 1,000 feet of power lines between South 18th Street and South 16th Street.
For the Washington Avenue lines, Toliver said lines could be moved to the alley between Washington and Austin avenues for $2.9 million, covering the cost of burying 1,000 feet of power lines between South Eighth and South Sixth streets.
Another option is to install the lines in the alley between Washington and Columbus avenues for a cost of $2.6 million to bury 900 feet of power lines between South Ninth Street and South Eighth Street.
A final option for the Washington lines would be to move them to Columbus Avenue, which would not require burial and would cost the city nothing.
Waco City Council members said the council and staff will review the city’s budget before deciding on the power lines, and they seemed open to the idea of moving the lines to alleys.
Mayor Dillon Meek said it would be better if fewer power lines were exposed to pedestrians, and said there are already a lot of power lines in the downtown corridor.
“It’s not ideal for citizens who want to make downtown Waco more beautiful,” Meek said. “Obviously, I think it’s ideal to put our lines in the alleyways, where we’re able to conceal those from the public.”
Meek also expressed interest in moving the power lines to a more industrial part of downtown to save money. Council Member Andrea Barefield said the council must explore new ways to install new lines without spending large amounts of money.
Council Member Darius Ewing asked Oncor officials about the possibility of burying all of the lines.
Oncor south region manager Mike Baldwin said Oncor would have to calculate the cost of burying the entirety of the power lines, but said it would likely be very expensive.
Oncor officials said they would seek to complete the installation of the new lines by this summer.
In an effort to stop sparking California wildfires, the nation’s largest utility has started an ambitious project to bury 10,000 miles of power lines. Once thought to be too costly, Pacific Gas & Electric changed its mind after equipment on its power poles was blamed for starting numerous wildfires in recent years that have killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes in northern and central California.
