Xcel Energy is putting more money into backup power in the Texas Panhandle, a move it says will help residents recover faster from power outages.
Xcel announced recently it reached an agreement with North Plains Electric Co-Op to help with power restoration after storms or incidents.
Excel Energy has more than 1,000 customers in Lipscomb county near the state line with the Oklahoma Panhandle. They live in the towns of Darrouzett, Follett, Lipscomb and Higgins.
The power is supplied through a 73-mile long distribution line from a substation at Booker near the border. Reports indicated the Booker connection was the only power source so power outages were not quickly repaired. But Xcel recently invested $3 million in a new Skunk Creek substation.
Using a North Plains Electric Co-Op transmission line, Xcel can now move power onto the distribution line serving four Lipscomb County communities should there be line damage farther up the main feed.
