Thanks to AEP Texas’s quick response, the Matador Substation is back online and serving the community.
In June 2023, a powerful tornado destroyed the Matador Substation, leaving the community of Matador dependent on temporary power solutions.
In response, AEP Texas began the ambitious project to rebuild the substation and restore reliable electricity to the area. The project was funded through capital resources and was completed by November 2024.
The new substation was designed using AEP's innovative standards to reduce costs, shorten timelines, and optimize the station's footprint. Matador is now the third station in the AEP network to utilize this design.
AEP Texas has completed several infrastructure improvements in addition to the substation, including an upgrade to the distribution line in downtown Matador. These upgrades involved replacing old wooden poles with taller fiberglass poles and installing larger aluminum conductors. These enhancements aim to strengthen the resilience of the local power grid.
AEP Texas's plans for improvement in the area include pole inspections, replacements, and a multi-year project to upgrade electrical lines from the Matador Substation to Turkey, Texas.
This is a view of the Matador Substation when it was destroyed by a tornado in June 2023. The picture above shows how the substation looks after being restored; taken in November 2024.