Rankin Avenue Reliability Project

About the Projects

In the past 20 years, Asheville has grown and so have its energy needs. Duke Energy is working to provide energy the way customers want it – cleaner, smarter and more reliable. 

The Downtown Asheville Energy Investments are a series of upgrades designed to modernize infrastructure and ensure reliable electricity to homes and businesses for years to come. The upgrades include: 

• Rebuilding the substation located at Rankin Avenue, which is more than 50 years old
• Building a new substation near Patton Avenue, which the city of Asheville approved in 2019

Rankin Avenue Substation Rebuild

Duke Energy and the city of Asheville have worked closely to plan the timing and aesthetics of the rebuilt substation, which will be placed on the parcel adjacent to the existing substation located at Rankin Avenue and Hiawassee Street. Duke Energy recently received city council approval to move forward with the location and substation construction. 

Before construction begins, Duke Energy will install a temporary substation near Patton Avenue. The temporary substation will support reliable energy service during the Rankin Avenue substation rebuild. 

Patton Avenue Substation Build

Once construction is complete at the Rankin Avenue substation, we will remove the temporary substation near Patton Avenue and will move forward with construction plans for the new Patton Avenue substation. 

Approved by the Asheville City Council in 2019, the Patton Avenue plans include a GIS (gas-insulated) substation near the corner of Patton Avenue and Clingman Avenue.

Project Support Work

To complete important upgrade projects, support work will take place this fall through spring 2025 along the Rankin Avenue corridor and around the temporary substation near Patton Avenue. Support work and associated impacts to project neighbors will include:

• Lane and sidewalk closures at: Clingman Avenue, between Hilliard Avenue and Merritt Park Lane; Rankin Avenue between Hiawassee Street and the Rankin Avenue parking garage; Hiawassee Street between Rankin Avenue and Flint Street; and Flint Street between Hiawassee Street and Harrah’s Cherokee Center. 
• Street re-pavement in areas where the sidewalk and road were impacted.
• Installation of a new pole along Clingman Avenue.
• Line work at Patton Avenue and Hilliard Avenue.

Duke Energy will install the temporary substation from mid-September to December 2024. The temporary substation will be in place during construction of the new Rankin Avenue Substation and will be removed within six months of substation rebuild completion. 

• The rebuilt substation at Rankin Avenue and the new substation at Patton Avenue will help enable Duke Energy to continue providing reliable electricity that meets Asheville’s growing energy needs.
  
  • The rebuilt substation at Rankin Avenue will help mitigate against future energy disruptions as it will replace aging infrastructure. 
  • The new substation at Patton Avenue will help provide greater capacity for the growing community. 
• Both projects play an integral role in helping to maintain and strengthen a robust system for supplying and delivering energy.