Cook Street Substation Construction Timeline Announced

THOUSAND PALMS, CA — Construction on an electrical substation that's expected to power about 8,000 residential and commercial Imperial Irrigation District customers in Thousand Palms will begin in early 2027, officials announced Tuesday.

The Cook Street substation will be located west of Cook Street, north of Interstate 10, and is expected to be in-service by summer of 2028. The district's Board of Directors approved $39.6 million for the project.

"We have been working to facilitate creative solutions by working through the tough questions together and this new substation is a testament to our successful collaborative efforts," IID General Manager Jamie Asbury said in a statement.

The project will be funded through an agreement involving Riverside County, the cities of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert, the Berger Foundation and two private developers.

"The work done to move this key project forward is the result of IID's commitment to serve our growing Coachella Valley service area, and is a result of smart planning, cooperation, and mutual respect between regions," said IID Director Karin Eugenio.

The agency said the project will not increase costs for the district's other ratepayers.

The Cook Street substation is one of more than 270 energy projects planned across IID's service area over the next 15 years, according to the utility.