How PG&E Uses Prefabricated Buildings to Bolster Resilience, Reliability, and Safety
As electric utilities face mounting pressure from climate change, rapid electrification, and surging demand from data centers, their role in powering modern life has never been more critical or more complex. Amid these challenges, utilities must continue to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. For Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), innovation is central to meeting this mission, and one of its most effective tools is the use of nVent TRACHTE prefabricated buildings in substation projects.
PG&E’s Modular Protection and Automation Control (MPAC) program exemplifies this approach. Through MPAC, the utility deploys durable, factory-built structures that house vital substation equipment, control systems, and infrastructure. These prefabricated buildings are helping PG&E enhance grid reliability, improve safety, and streamline project delivery.
STRONG DRIVERS BEHIND THE USE OF PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS
Historically, PG&E constructed buildings on-site to enclose substation automation and control systems. But this method came with significant drawbacks: unpredictable schedules, weather delays, supply chain disruptions, and inefficiencies in labor and materials. In the late 1990s, PG&E began exploring alternatives.
“We wanted more predictability around our operative date,” said Chad Dupuis, Principal Electrical Engineer at PG&E. “Projects were being delayed for various reasons, and often the building controlled the project schedule.”
nVent TRACHTE offered a prefabricated building solution. Built in controlled environments and shipped to site, they reduced delays and improved quality. Dupuis noted that on-site construction often resulted in wasted materials and inconsistent workmanship. Prefabrication, by contrast, minimized these issues and improved overall efficiency.
Safety was another major driver. Substations are inherently hazardous environments and reducing the time workers spend on-site significantly lowers risk. nVent TRACHTE prefabricated buildings are built off-site, in safer, controlled conditions.
PROVEN BENEFITS FOR CUSTOMERS
PG&E has installed over 130 prefabricated buildings over the past 20 years, two-thirds of which were not part of the MPAC program. Regardless of whether the prefabricated buildings were constructed as part of the MPAC program or not, Dupuis made it clear that their use delivers tangible benefits to PG&E’s customers.
“This is the best way to deliver new buildings for substations that support grid expansion, modernization, and grid-enhancing technologies,” Dupuis said. “If we’re not using prefabricated buildings, customers will likely see a higher cost on their bill.”
Cost and quality are closely linked. Poor quality leads to delays and rework, which drive up expenses. Prefabrication helps PG&E deliver high-quality systems on time, keeping costs down and improving service reliability.
A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION
The concept of a factory-built prefabricated building shipped to the site of a substation project is straightforward. But innovation and customization to fit the unique needs of individual utilities ensures prefabricated buildings deliver even more value.
nVent TRACHTE benefits from working with utilities in a wide range of geographies. This allows TRACHTE to catalogue and share application expertise and best practices across its customer base. Working closely with utility customers also requires TRACHTE to innovate to solve very specific challenges.
One example: rodent intrusion. PG&E identified a recurring issue with pests entering buildings through cable entrances. In response, the utility piloted new designs that better seal these entry points, protecting equipment from environmental and biological threats.
PG&E’s innovation strategy is structured and ongoing. “We’ve defined the areas where we want to focus on innovation,” Dupuis said. “They include safety, technical, delivery, responsiveness, and cost. Innovation doesn’t stop, and we continuously drive toward improvement in each of those areas.”
A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE
As utilities nationwide grapple with evolving demands and risks, PG&E’s use of prefabricated buildings offers a compelling model. By embracing innovation and prioritizing safety, efficiency, and reliability, PG&E is not only modernizing its infrastructure—it’s reinforcing its commitment to the communities it serves.