Expanded substation to improve electric grid; will feature mural
Duke Energy's substation expansion at the intersection of Locust and Spring Street is substantially complete, with additional equipment set for installation this fall. The city plans to add a mural to the wall in front of the site.
Duke Energy has completed substantial work on its Locust Street substation in Oxford, with further improvements set for this fall.
Construction began in April 2024, according to a project overview website. The expansion included installation of a new transformer to change voltage levels from transmission lines to distribution lines connected to houses and businesses, as well as relocation of existing electric lines and installation of a new control building.
A spokesperson for Duke Energy said the upgrades will help support self-healing technology that helps the city’s electric grid detect and react to power outages. The improvements will also make it easier to utilize green energy such as electric cars and rooftop solar on their own properties, the spokesperson said.
This fall, the company will finish the project by putting additional equipment in the substation to support changes to the electrical distribution system, though the spokesperson described the current project status as “mostly completed” already.
Oxford officials planned to install a mural along the Spring Street privacy wall in 2025, but Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene wrote in an email that Duke Energy had asked to delay the mural painting until 2026. Duke Energy will contribute $10,000 for the mural installation.
The city had budgeted an additional $50,000 to bring in a high-profile artist for the mural, but Greene wrote that the city is now looking for other public art projects to spend that money in 2025. Greene will discuss potential new uses for the funding during a Public Arts Commission of Oxford meeting at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10.
