It’s being called the first of its kind in the U.S.

When the city of Anaheim, California began undergoing a population surge, the demand for power increased accordingly. While few homeowners welcomed the idea of an electrical substation in their backyard, many welcomed the idea of a park.

Enter the “park substation,” an electrical substation that’s been built below a two-acre Roosevelt Park in Anaheim – giving residents the extra power their growing population requires, along with extra green space to enjoy. Unlike traditional substations with their grey transformers and steel towers, nothing is visible at Roosevelt Park save a telltale locked bunker-like staircase leading into the ground.

The substation features the latest in “gas-insulated switchgear” technology, or GIS, which allows substations to be built 70 percent smaller than conventional models.

Dave Pacyna of Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution, which designed and built the facility, says the Roosevelt Park substation is "the first of a kind inside the United States, from the standpoint that it’s underground."

"It met not only the reliability issues, but it also met the growth concerns, and it did so in a fashion that we’ve been told by the community is by far their preference. Its really a Win for everybody," said Marcie Edwards, general manager of Anaheim Public Utilities.

The Anaheim park substation is expected to serve as a model to other growing communities across the country.

For more information:

https://www.energy-portal.siemens.com/