What is a Substation? A Look Behind the Scenes at BTES

By Hope Godsey, Digital Marketing Specialist

As a new employee at BTES, one of the things that surprised me most was just how much goes into making sure the lights turn on when you flip the switch. Like many people, I had driven past electrical substations countless times without giving them much thought. They always looked like a collection of wires, metal structures, and equipment hidden behind a fence, but I didn’t really understand what purpose they served.

Since joining BTES, I’ve been learning so much about how our systems work and how every piece plays an important role in serving our community. One thing I quickly realized is that many people, including myself before starting here, don’t really know what a substation is or why it’s so important.

Now, after seeing firsthand the work that goes into building a new substation, I have a much clearer understanding, and it’s something I think is worth sharing.

At its core, a substation is the middleman of the electric grid. For us, power is generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) at large generation facilities. After generation, the voltage is stepped up to travel across long distance power lines. The stepped-up voltage is far too high for homes and businesses. That’s where a substation comes in. It takes the high-voltage electricity from the transmission lines and steps it down to a lower voltage that can be distributed safely to our homes.

To put it in everyday terms, think of a substation like a highway exit. Cars travel at high speeds on the interstate, but when you get off the exit, the speed is reduced so you can safely drive into neighborhoods. As a car slows down to safely drive into neighborhoods, a substation steps down voltage to safely deliver electricity to neighborhoods and businesses.

BTES employees have been working hard on building a new substation that will allow us to serve more customers, support growth in our area, and increase the reliability of the system overall. For our community, this means more reliability, better capacity for future businesses, and stronger support for the homes and families already here.

So next time you drive past a substation, I hope you see it a little differently. Not just as a fenced-in lot of equipment, but as an essential part of what keeps our community connected and moving forward.