SUNNYVALE, Texas — After a days-long journey across Texas, a key piece of electricity infrastructure has arrived at Lake Hubbard Power Plant.
A work convoy Wednesday delivered the power transformer to the natural gas-fueled generator in Sunnyvale. It took crews days to transport the cargo from Victoria, because the load weighed 1.2 million pounds, according to one truck driver in the caravan.
The machine will help deliver electricity to thousands of people moving to Rockwall, Kaufman and other booming counties east of Dallas.
The convoy drew scores of spectators to Pinson Road in Forney, which the trucks used to bypass a low overpass on U.S. Highway 80.
Utility crews at the front of the convoy raised traffic lights and power lines so the tall transformer could safely pass underneath.
"If people want power on, that's what it's going to be," spectator John Crow said, watching workers use pads to construct a makeshift road through a gravel lot in Forney. The detour allowed the convoy to avoid a sharp turn.
Once installed, the transformer will boost voltage of electricity produced at Lake Hubbard Power Plant. The modification allows electricity to travel long distances without losing too much energy on the journey.
The infrastructure will help carry more power to more people more efficiently. Kaufman and Rockwall are among the nation's fastest-growing counties, and electricity demand in northern Texas is soaring.
"It's growing pains, you know?" Crow said, as a traffic jam formed across the lot.
The power plant's owner, Vistra, did not respond to WFAA's questions. It's not yet clear when the transformer will be installed.