July 17, 2025
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Construction on Afton’s substation to begin Sept. 28

Afton's $2.7 million substation and distribution project estimated to be complete by December 2016.

By IAN RICHARDSON
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This plot of land, located on the east side of U.S. Highway 169 entering Afton, will be the site for Afton's new substation. Afton's Casey's General Store donated the land for the project. Estimated completion for the substation is the end of 2015. The city will fully switch over to the new substation following a distribution upgrade, estimated to finish in December 2016.

AFTON — When construction begins on the north side of Afton later this month, the city will be one step closer to completing a $2.7 million substation and distribution project.

IES Commercial Inc. will begin construction on Afton’s future 60-by-113-foot substation Sept. 28. The substation will eventually transfer power to all of Afton’s approximately 520 customers. The project’s estimated completion is the end of 2015.

Work on the city’s distribution system will then begin the week of Oct. 19. Watts Electric Company will replace the city’s power distribution equipment and hardware, as well as many of the power poles. Estimated completion is December 2016 or sooner.

To pay for the project, the city is using funds raised from its 7-percent electricity rate increase, which began this year, to cover loan payments. That increase will generate nearly $55,000 in revenue for the city this year.

“We took out some loans, but the rate increase that happened back in February was enough to help us pay for our yearly payment,” Afton City Clerk Toni Landers said.

Landers said the city will review its electricity rates annually and adjust them when needed to ensure loan payments continue to be covered.

The city of Afton had previously had a rent agreement to use the Alliant substation on the north side of town. Afton City Council decided to build a new substation for the city following Alliant Energy’s decision to build its own new substation in 2014. Landers said the city would have faced a rate increase to move to Alliant’s new substation, and it made more sense for the city to build its own.

Casey’s General Store in Afton donated a parcel of land to be used for the project at no charge to the city. The land was graded in August. Afton continues to use the old substation during the construction process.

As the project continues, the city will experience at least two major citywide power outages of two to four hours each. Matt Kalin, project engineer with JEO Consulting Group Inc., who has been working alongside the city council on the project, said one outage will occur when the line from the old substation is extended and attached to the new substation.

The second will be at the end of the project, when the city fully switches to the new substation.

Other localized power outages will take place as the distribution project moves along. Kalin said the contractor will inform all Afton residents who will be affected at least 24 hours in advance.

Kalin said JEO Consulting has in the past helped several nearby towns build similar substations, including Corning, Lenox, Greenfield and Stuart.

“I think everything’s coming together well from the project standpoint,” he said. “In the next week to month there’ll be a lot more action going on.”