Xcel finishes $29M transmission project in New Mexico

PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — Xcel Energy says it has completed a $29 million transmission project that will boost the capacity and reliability of the system that powers one eastern New Mexico city.
The five-year project involved the construction of two new substation sites, the reconstruction and enlargement of another, and a major upgrade to an interchange that moves power into the community of Portales.
The company also built 23 miles of new transmission lines to connect key substations in the area.
Xcel officials say the Portales project is one of dozens of similar upgrades being made within the company's service areas in New Mexico and Texas. Overall, Xcel says it has invested in more than 800 miles of new transmission lines and more than 30 new substations since 2011.