Safeguarding Reliability and Powering Growth

At Liberty, we’re powering growth and progress across our Four-State electric service area.

Recent and upcoming infrastructure upgrades are designed to make the grid more resilient and strengthen electric service for our 190,000-plus customer connections.

From new substations to stronger power lines and poles, every improvement we make is designed to keep your lights on, our communities thriving, and your service safer and more reliable than ever.

To increase capacity to support energy demand and protect reliability, Liberty has upgraded or rebuilt 23 substations in our service area over the last few years.

Those projects include:

Downtown Joplin, Missouri: A 4 kV to 12 kV conversion project was completed in December of 2022, upgrading and replacing infrastructure – some of it dating from the 1940s - serving our downtown homes and businesses. As part of the project, we replaced 139 poles, 418 crossarms, and 562 transformers, improving reliability and supporting economic activity in this busy business district. Learn more. 

Joplin, Missouri: A rebuild of the substation on East 32nd Street was completed in September of 2022. The project was focused on improving reliability for an area seeing residential and commercial growth.

Webb City, Missouri: Substation 432 went into service in late 2023 following an overhaul designed to replace 30-year-old equipment and improve capacity to serve residential and commercial customers. This supports reliability and economic development activities.  Read more.

Greenfield, Missouri: Completed in 2023, the new electrical substation was designed to support the growing community. The previous substation served the area with two different distribution voltages and structures dating back to the 1950s. Putting the entire city on one voltage helps Liberty to more quickly and efficiently restore service in the event of an outage. Read more.

Gentry, Arkansas: In December 2024, Liberty joined local officials and legislators to celebrate the completion of the new substation in Gentry – an area experiencing tremendous growth. Read more.

Tipton Ford, Missouri: The complete rebuild of the substation was done in two phases. The 69 kV lines were energized in June 2025. The 161 kV system, which flows from east to west, will be energized this winter. 

Work is underway to replace two aging generators at Liberty’s historic power plant in Riverton, Kansas. The project will see the installation of two new industrial gas turbines, which are 35- to 40-percent more efficient and more reliable.

Besides increasing our ability to deliver reliable electric service to our customers, the project will also greatly improve winter weather operations.

The project is expected to be completed in 2026. Read more about it here.

By upgrading our transmission lines in key areas, Liberty can reduce transmission costs while improving reliability for our customers. These projects also help address rising energy demand – helping Liberty to meet current and long-term energy needs.  

Joplin, Missouri: A major upgrade to five miles of 161 kV line – stretching west from Schifferdecker Avenue in Joplin to Liberty’s State Line power station – began in September 2025. The project includes replacing wooden structures with stronger steel counterparts and switching from single to bundled conductors, which will increase the line’s carrying capacity and improve reliability.

Riverton, Kansas: In early 2023, crews energized one of our largest transmission projects, doubling the capacity of one of the most overloaded lines in the Southwest Power Pool, the organization responsible for ensuring states across the Midwest – including our Four-State electric service area - have access to reliable energy. Twenty-six miles of line and the infrastructure to support it were built, starting in Riverton and extending to the Labette and Cherokee County line. Read more.

Missouri: Liberty will make a major investment in our regional electric transmission system with the addition of 110 miles of 345 kV lines and the rebuilding or conversion of 79 miles of 161 kV lines. The three-phase project is expected to take five years to complete. Read more.

Safety starts with the poles that hold up your power lines.

Our electric service region - which includes areas in Southwest Missouri, along with Northwest Arkansas, Southeast Kansas, and Northeast Oklahoma - has approximately 220,000 utility poles. Approximately 17,000 poles are inspected annually as part of a 12-year inspection cycles. During this process, our team identifies poles that need replaced or reinforced.

Since 2022, we've replaced more than 2,300 poles, helping keep your power safe and reliable. Learn more.

We love our feathered friends, though their tendency to flock to electric substations and occasionally cause significant outages is an issue.

In 2023, Liberty team members constructed nesting boxes to keep the birds safe and the power flowing. Learn more.

Squirrels and other critters also cause their fair share of outages, which is why Liberty launched an ongoing effort to install protective coverings designed to protect our equipment and animals. Learn more.

Find out more about Liberty’s efforts to safeguard reliability while protecting wildlife and habitats throughout the area by clicking here.