New Thousand Palms Power Substation Approved to Help Prevent Summer Blackouts

A major energy upgrade is coming to the Coachella Valley. Riverside County supervisors have approved a funding deal to construct a new power substation in Thousand Palms to help reduce the risk of summer blackouts for communities currently served by the Imperial Irrigation District.

The county is contributing 56 million dollars through the new Coachella Valley Power Fund, with 250 thousand dollars officially approved today to begin the process. The total project cost is estimated at nearly 43 million dollars, with Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, IID, and the Berger Foundation all helping to fund construction.

The substation will be built near Cook Street and Chase School Road, just north of Interstate 10 and close to Acrisure Arena, giving local power demands an important boost as the region continues to grow.

A groundbreaking date has not yet been set. Meanwhile, a separate substation planned near Avenue 58 in La Quinta remains in early planning stages as officials continue working to strengthen the valley’s power infrastructure.

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