Overview

Xcel Energy is building a better, cleaner energy future by taking steps to create a smarter and stronger energy grid, for a more secure energy supply. This commitment includes building new infrastructure to meet current and future needs.

The Denver metropolitan area has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years which has increased the demand for additional, reliable electricity. The system in this area, as it exists today, does not have the capability to reliably serve the additional customer electric need (load growth) anticipated for the future.

Substations play a key role in helping ensure a high-quality power supply for existing and future customers. Additional substation facilities are required to deliver electricity to the load centers where energy needs are the greatest.

Distribution substations, like Lacombe Substation, are a key component of any electric delivery system. They receive electric power from high-voltage lines and reduce these higher voltage levels to lower levels. Once the voltage is reduced, it is distributed to customers by way of electric distribution lines or “feeders.”

Each substation in the Denver metro area can provide electricity to a certain number of customers over specific distances. As neighborhoods continue to grow, and demand for electricity increases, substations reach their capacity and become unable to supply enough low-voltage electricity to meet customer demand. We build additional substations, including the Barker Substation, in areas that are growing and developing rapidly to ensure there is enough low-voltage electricity to serve local homes and businesses.