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
Rainey Street Substation
Completed in 2023, the Rainey Street Substation has boosted available downtown energy resources by 33%. More than 600 community stakeholders provided input into the design, resulting in a facility that integrates with nearby natural landmarks such as Waller Creek and Lady Bird Lake.Brackenridge Substation
With the completed Rainey Street Substation now providing additional power capacity, plans are underway to rebuild the over 40-year-old Brackenridge Substation to accommodate downtown Austin's expanding energy demands. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2025.
Contact Us
- Email: Communications@austinenergy.com
- Phone: 512-972-8582
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Date last reviewed or modified: 07/09/2025