Nov. 28. By Dave Vieser. The Cornelius Town Board has unanimously approved the purchase of four major components to be used at a new Electricities substation that will be built east of Hwy. 115 near the Foamex rail crossing.

According to Electricities System Manager David Lucore, the components include the substation structure and equipment house, 15KC circuit breakers, a relay and control board.

Total cost: $658,891. The low bidder: Southeastern Consulting Engineers of Charlotte.

Why it matters: Electricities provides power to most of the town east of I77. The power-producing equipment in the Electricities system is aging and the new substation is needed as the east side continues to grow.

Timing: The components will be delivered in 2024, and construction will begin shortly thereafter.

What about the older substations on Highway 115? Commissioners quizzed Lucore about this and he was hesitant to provide a definite commitment, other than to say their first priority was to get the new substation up and running, after which they would evaluate the older stations.

Why does the Town Board even vote on this? Electricities serves the area east of I-77 in Cornelius, while Energy United and Duke Energy serve the area west of the interstate. They have their own managing boards while the Cornelius Town Board is the governing board over the Electricities system.