As Tucson’s population continues to climb, so does the strain on its infrastructure — including electricity. That pressure is now playing out in a midtown neighborhood where Tucson Electric Power is proposing a new substation, prompting vocal opposition from nearby residents concerned about scale, placement and transparency.
The proposed substation would be built in a parking lot just west of Banner University Medical Center’s midtown campus, near the Jefferson Park and Desert Mallow neighborhoods. TEP says the facility is needed to meet growing energy demands tied to new housing, medical facilities and commercial development across the city’s urban core.
Opponents packed a special Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing Thursday in downtown Tucson, where frustration with the utility boiled over. During the public comment period, one speaker said, “TEP clearly doesn’t give one iota about Jefferson Park or Desert Mallow…”…