Santa Cruz Reliability Project
UniSource is preparing plans for new transmission facilities to improve the reliability and resiliency of the electrical transmission system serving Santa Cruz County.
The Santa Cruz Reliability Project is designed to reduce the potential for a major, sustained outage in Santa Cruz County. Power outages would be less frequent and shorter because UniSource could supply energy from more than one direction to the substations that support service to residents, businesses, service providers and other customers in the area.
The project will be completed in three phases.
Santa Cruz Reliability Project North
Santa Cruz Reliability (SCR) Project North will strengthen the local energy grid by constructing a second 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line to connect the Kantor Substation, located in Santa Cruz County, to the Canoa Ranch Substation, located in Pima County.
Nogales Tap to Kantor Upgrade
UniSource will upgrade and expand the capacity of an existing transmission line from Western Area Power Administration’s Nogales Tap Switchyard, located about 4 miles south of Interstate 10 along South Wilmot Road, to UniSource’s Kantor Substation.
Santa Cruz Reliability Project South
Santa Cruz Reliability Project South will include construction of the proposed Gateway Substation about two miles west of UniSource’s existing Valencia Substation in Nogales. A new transmission line would be constructed from the expanded Kantor Substation to the Gateway Substation, and from the Gateway Substation to the Valencia Substation, completing the looped transmission system serving Santa Cruz County.
Outreach efforts for SCR South are expected to begin in 2025. More information will be posted here soon.