Oncor is updating and upgrading some of its electrical infrastructure in the Argyle area, following several power outages in recent months.
Last week, Argyle Mayor Pro Tem Cynthia Hermann, Councilmember Bryan Livingston and Interim Town Administrator Erika McComis met with Aaron Patterson of Oncor to discuss electric services in Argyle, according to a news release from the town. Patterson said Oncor is replacing conductors between Argyle and Corinth, and installing new open-wye autotransformers. This work is expected to be completed this month.
Based on an Oncor study showing population growth in Argyle, the company determined that larger-gauge conductors and updated equipment were necessary to keep up with demand, according to the town. The improvements also address existing outage problems that required immediate attention. Patterson said that Argyle’s outages in 2020 have been caused by execution problems and by the fragility of the current system. Oncor will more closely supervise the crews working on this project going forward.
“I am much more confident about the overall situation having received a serious and detailed briefing from Oncor,” Livingston said. “There is no guarantee that we will not see further outages while this work is ongoing. Once complete, however, we should have a power supply for the town that provides the capacity to keep up with our growth, improved resilience, and better power quality.”
Additional work is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020 to install reclosers and regulators, further improving resilience and power quality, according to the town. Hermann and Livingston requested Oncor make a presentation at a future public hearing.
