Repowering Downtown Austin
Increasing Capacity for the 21st Century
For more than 70 years, the City of Austin’s electric utility has designed, constructed, and operated an exceptional, high-capacity downtown network. Within a compact footprint, the network takes power from transmission lines and decreases the voltage to deliver power safely to downtown buildings through an underground system.
Repowering Downtown Initiative
The rapid pace of development downtown has caused the electrical facility requirements needed for the near, and long-term, future to increase exponentially.
To meet future demand, Austin Energy is performing a variety of system upgrades as part of the Repowering Downtown Initiative.
Efforts to date include:
- Completed construction of the Rainey Street Substation, further improving system reliability and increasing available downtown capacity by 33%
- Added a high-voltage transformer to the Seaholm Substation
- Upgraded network distribution feeder circuits
- Installed additional transmission lines
West 16th Street Duct Bank Project – Rio Grande St. to Lavaca Street
Starting in May 2026, Austin Energy will begin installing an underground duct bank to improve the electrical infrastructure in downtown Austin. This work will allow Austin Energy to disconnect from the Brackenridge Substation, which will soon be taken offline for upgrades, and transition service to the Rainey Street Substation. This project is critical to support continued reliable power in the area.
Construction Timeline
- Start: May 2026
- End: December 2026
- Location: Work will begin at the intersection of West 16th Street and Rio Grande, continue east along West 16th Street, and end between Guadalupe and Lavaca Streets.
Contact Us
- Email: Communications@austinenergy.com
- Phone: 512-972-8582
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- Facebook: /austinenergy
- Twitter: @austinenergy
Date last reviewed or modified: 04/27/2026