Crews complete Bee Creek conversion project after years of planning
Upgrades improve reliability for members in the area
On June 11, crews completed a voltage conversion more than six years in the making. This is the last phase in a series of projects to move members in the Bee Creek and Lakeway areas from 7,200 voltage capacity to 14,400 volts. In just five hours, several crews switched hundreds of gears and equipment to reach a higher voltage to better serve the area’s growing energy needs.
The recent conversion project affected more than 1,200 members and is just one example of PEC’s continued commitment to reliability. The work required lineworkers and engineers from across our service territory to come together, including teams from Oak Hill, Junction, Marble Falls, Liberty Hill, Bertram, Kyle, Canyon Lake, and Cedar Park.
“I’m proud of the camaraderie and unity our crews showed to get the job done,” said Virgil Maldonado PEC’s director of operations in the Oak Hill District. “A conversion of this scale requires years of planning, so we feel a true sense of accomplishment finishing this out for our members to provide them the very best service.”
The conversion helps increase PEC’s load capacity in that area and reduces wear and tear on important equipment, making for a more reliable system.
The effort required 308 boots on the ground, broken up into eight teams working on eight different areas. Crews hoisted down transformers from the 1980s that weighed nearly 400 pounds and replaced them with new transformers that are nearly 100 pounds lighter. Throughout the process, crews worked carefully to consider their own safety as well as the safety of the public and their team members.
“It was remarkable seeing the magnitude of coordination and effort that takes place on the front lines to keep our system reliable,” CEO Julie C. Parsley said. “Everything happened seamlessly, and I am so impressed by everyone’s hard work and professionalism. Our crews worked together as a team to put our members first, and it was incredible to watch first-hand.