U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit visited AEP Texas recently for a firsthand look at the company’s operations and its plans for a $3.26 billion low-interest federal loan that closed in July.

The loan, provided through the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, will support the rebuilding, reconductoring and construction of about 2,800 miles of transmission lines. AEP Texas says the work will expand capacity and reduce power interruptions for customers.

The infrastructure upgrades are also expected to strengthen grid resilience and save customers an estimated $685 million over 30 years.

During a stop at the El Campo service center, AEP Texas and AEP Transmission leaders briefed Haustveit on the company’s operations. He also participated in live interviews with reporters from El Campo and Corpus Christi before meeting with the Mission Intelligence Team, whose specialists demonstrated how advanced data collection and analysis are changing operations and benefiting customers.

Haustveit later toured an active drone operations site near the route of a proposed high-efficiency transmission line. There, he saw mobile command units equipped with Starlink satellite internet and drone-flight management technology used to improve line inspections, storm restoration and outreach to customers in rural communities.

“Our employees gave Under Secretary Haustveit an in-depth look at how we are responding to growth across our service territory and using innovative technology every day to position AEP Texas as a utility industry leader,” said Matt Gerick, vice president of Customer Experience. “We wanted to show him the best of what we do, and I believe we succeeded.”