Work has begun on a new $15.5 million substation that will bolster electricity supplies to the Victoria Park, Bentley and South Perth areas.
Energy Minister Francis Logan said the substation would also meet the rapidly growing power needs of Curtin University, Bentley's Technology Park and the CSIRO's new mineral and chemistry centre at Waterford.
Mr Logan said work on the 132/22 kV substation, which would be located at the bottom of McKay Street, south of the Curtin University campus, was expected to be completed by September 2007.
Western Australia's booming economy was significantly increasing the demand for electricity and the demand for new connections.
"The rise in the number of developments has produced an extraordinary amount of growth in the demand for power," the Minister said.
"To meet this growth, Western Power is operating at capacity to train new engineers, technicians and tradespeople and to recruit staff to reinforce its workforce."
Mr Logan said the new substation would reduce the electrical load carried by the Tate Street and Collier substations, as well as supplying new areas of development.
The construction would also include the installation of underground cables in sections of McKay, Marquis, Earl, Sill and Farnham Streets in Bentley.
This was to provide a connection to the new substation from the 132kV transmission line that ran between the South Terminal and East Perth.
It would also require the installation of two 20m transition poles in the Farnham Street Reserve.
The Minister said the substation would reinforce power supplies to the local community and meet future increases in electricity demand.
The substation would improve the reliability of electricity supplies in the area.
"This substation represents a significant investment by the Carpenter Government to ensure that the residents in this area have a reliable and modern power supply," Mr Logan said.
