Hurricane City power officials outline costly Sky Mountain substation, transmission plans and staffing needs

Mike, a power department official, told the council the city's capital plan for 2026 6 is substantially higher than last year's because of large infrastructure projects. "This is the overall master plan that we've set forth for power for Hurricane City," he said, describing a Sky Mountain substation and a 138 kV transmission loop running from 600 North down toward SR 7.

Why it matters: the projects are large, interdependent and partly reliant on property easements and developer contributions. Officials said most easements have been obtained but two remain unresolved; one parcel along 3000 South (Lynn Mills property) requires an alternate route. Council members pressed whether impact fees and other reimbursements would cover the costs.

Funding and timeline: power staff said they are exploring bonding options and impact-fee reimbursement, and that some costs have been pushed to the Gateway development where feasible. Mike said portions of the transmission loop will likely be contracted out and that some construction drawings are expected by the end of the calendar year.

Operational impacts: staff warned generation costs will likely rise because city generators will be run more frequently in the current market environment. Mike also said the department needs at least one full-time substation specialist: "Our primary substation guy is also generation guy... pulling him away from the substation department makes it really, really hard to do the maintenance," he said.

Other trade-offs: presenters noted routing challenges where planned transmission poles will conflict with a future overpass near SR 7 and that line heights must be coordinated with road design. Several council members urged closer coordination with engineering and planners before finalizing designs.

Next steps: staff said they will return with more-detailed cost estimates and proposed funding arrangements, and that bonding will likely be brought to the council for authorization when the design scope and cost allocations are clearer.