LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today broke ground on a new 145,100-square foot substation training facility at the company’s Livermore Training Center. The facility, which will focus on electric substation operations and maintenance, is scheduled to open in the first half of 2019.

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On Sept. 29, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) broke ground on a new 145,100-square foot substation training facility at the company's Livermore Training Center in Livermore, Calif. The facility will focus on electric substation operations and maintenance and is scheduled to open in the first half of 2019. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“This will be one of the premier training facilities in our company, and it will play a vital role in training our teams to safely and reliably deliver affordable and clean energy to our customers. Partnering with the communities we serve has long been the cornerstone of our commitment to building a better California, and the City of Livermore has been an excellent partner in this endeavor,” said PG&E Senior Vice President of Electric Operations Pat Hogan.

“We also appreciate the role the IBEW and ESC played in helping us design and build this facility to best meet the needs of our workers,” added Hogan.

“For nearly a quarter-century, PG&E has based one of the most important parts of their company in our city. The Livermore Training Facility has kept PG&E employees on the cutting edge when it comes to the latest energy delivery practices and builds upon their commitment to safety. We’re very excited that PG&E continues to invest in our community and sees Livermore as a great place for this first-class training facility,” said Livermore Mayor John Marchand.

Substations are a critical element of the electrical system, connecting and switching high-voltage transmission lines with the distribution lines that provide power to homes and businesses. PG&E has 757 substations throughout its service area. The new substation training facility will provide:

• A safe and de-energized environment to train, validate and assess substation employees in realistic simulated field conditions
• Added or enhanced training in various substation disciplines such as complex switching scenarios, ground grid installation, wire pulling and line sagging
• A centralized location enabling seamless training from classroom laboratory to outdoor facilities
• An estimated 4,400 annual student training days for 775 crew leads/sub foreman, electricians, substation inspectors and utility workers.

In addition, the new facility will reflect PG&E’s commitment to sustainability by installing solar panels to offset the annual energy demand.

The Livermore Substation Training Center will provide an enhanced level of training that will result in reduced work errors, increased productivity by employees and a safer workforce.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

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Source: PG&E Corporation