Xcel Energy provides surplus substation components to support hands-on learning

 

LEVELLAND, Texas (Jan. 24, 2020) – Xcel Energy has donated substation equipment to South Plains College that will be used by students training in the college’s Electrician and Power Transmission Technology program. 

The equipment includes key components of a substation such as transformers, breakers, fuses and switches, including the steel towers that support these devices. 

“This equipment has been retired from Xcel Energy’s system but is in good working order,” said Ben Jaime, manager for Community and Economic Development in Lubbock. “By donating these items, we can assist the college in providing critical hands-on training that will give graduates of this program a leg up in the job market.”  

Xcel Energy, along with other utilities and contractors in the region, have benefited from SPC’s workforce development efforts in the past, and a number of Xcel Energy line and substation workers have trained in the SPC program. 

“SPC has done a great job connecting with area industries to understand the types of skills their graduates need to master, and this donation is a result of the college coming to us and asking what more they can do to prepare their graduates for the workforce,” Jaime said. 

Substations play a key role in the delivery of electricity from the source of generation to the end user. Electrical power moves at different voltages along the power grid, and substations perform the role of either reducing or increasing the voltage and transferring electricity to different lines. As electricity demand has grown across the region, many new substations have been built or enlarged, and each substation requires ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting to ensure the reliable flow of electricity across the region. 

SPC’s two-year Electrician and Power Transmission Technology program is designed to prepare qualified graduates to work in the electrical industry. The curriculum provides a selection of electrical courses that meet the needs of the electrical industry, as well as the goals and desires of the student. Students, with the aid of their advisor, create a degree plan suited for the needs of electricians or line workers. 

Graduates of Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrician and Power Transmission Technology program must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work including 45 credit hours of appropriate electrical/electrician courses, and 15 credit hours of general education courses. In addition, the program provides opportunity for students to attain two separate Texas Success Initiative (TSI) waived Certificates of Proficiency. Graduates of the Electrical/Electrician Technician Certificate must complete 24 hours of appropriate electrical/electrician courses. Graduates of the Advanced Electrical/Electrician Technician Certificate must complete an additional 21 hours of appropriate electrical/electrician courses. Certificate of Proficiency credit hours transfer toward completion of Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrician and Power Transmission Technology.

 

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitterand Facebook.