SAN ANTONIO – CPS Energy crews recently completed work on the elaborate electrical system that will power the new expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

More than 60 workers spent 22,000 man hours splicing together 2 miles of lines and building three custom-made electric vaults to meet the center’s power needs.

CPS Energy Underground Construction Heavy Crew Foreman Jon Moriarty showed off the most unique electric vault Monday that will power the $325 million dollar expansion to the convention center.

Unlike most electric vaults downtown that are located underground, one needed to be placed 32 feet off the ground to save space for the expansion project. The job required huge cranes to move the six 24,000-pound transformers into place.

“This provides roughly one-third of the power for the convention center expansion project,” Moriarty said. “This one just happened to be above ground just do to the constraints of what was necessary for the convention center expansion.”

Just one of the large transformers housed in the vault can power more than 150 homes. There are a total of 14 transformers in three vaults powering the 1.5 million square-foot convention center.

Read more: CPS Energy shows off elaborate electrical system to power convention center expansion