American Electric Power, the parent company of SWEPCO, will invest $100 million to build a new transmission control center in Shreveport (STCC).
The announcement was made Thursday, Jan. 20, by Governor John Bel Edwards and AEP President and CEO Nicholas Akins.
The 77,000-square-foot facility will be built on 30 acres in the northwestern quadrant of the new 313-acre Resilient Technology Park, which is located near Interstate 20 and Greenwood Road.
“Louisiana residents know the importance of a stable, reliable utility system and the investments that American Electric Power is making in our state will increase the energy resilience of the entire Gulf Coast,” Edwards said.
The project will create 20 new jobs in Shreveport with an average salary of $115,000 and will retain 20 already in the city. The estimates for the project also indicate that 63 indirect jobs will be created as a result.
“I am confident that AEP will find a highly-skilled workforce in Shreveport. This new project will bring high-paying jobs and new economic activity for the northwest region of Louisiana, as well as increased confidence in our vital utilities,” Edwards said.
The STCC will control the operations of AEP’s transmission system in the Southwest Power Pool regional power grid and work in collaboration with the AEP Transmission Control Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, to control the operations of AEP’s transmission system in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power grid.
The STCC will feature a new substation, additional electric grid infrastructure, and state-of-the-art equipment.
To secure the project in Shreveport, the state offered AEP a competitive incentive package that includes a $1 million performance based award for infrastructure costs. Additionally, the company is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs program.
Construction of the site will begin in the first quarter of 2022, with the start of operations projected for mid-year 2023.
— Stacey Tinsley, BIZ. Magazine
