CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Cooperative Procurement 24-270, Tollway Substation 34.5kV Indoor Switchgear, to Wesco, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $3,827,000
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DEPARTMENT: Electric Utility
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Groth, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
To support the City’s priority to provide infrastructure, electric service, and water / wastewater services that are reliable and safe, the Naperville Electric Utility (Utility) has initiated a multi-faceted, multi-year project to improve system reliability at the Tollway Substation. The project includes a new transformer and new 35kV switchgear and breakers that will be installed inside a new building.
The Tollway Substation currently operates outdoor 35kV breakers and outdoor bus along the north side of the substation. The 35kV circuits from the Tollway substation serve large customers, including Nokia; and feed thousands of customers via providing feeds to the Odgen, Jefferson, Chicago, and Washington Substations. The circuit to the Washington Substation is one of the two feeds to Edward Hospital.
Circuit breakers are a major component of the 35kV sub-transmission system. Their purpose is to trip/open under the control of a relay to interrupt power flow. This occurs when there is a system problem or when directed by a system controller to isolate parts of the system for safety.
Salt spray and icing on insulators during the winter season have twice caused major outages. Due to age and exposure to the elements, the 35kV outdoor bus at the Tollway Substation are nearing their planned life expectancy and must be replaced.
DISCUSSION:
Utility staff, supported by Sargent and Lundy (Consultant), developed a technical specification for the 35kV indoor switchgear and circuit breakers.
Wesco has proposed AVAIL Switchgear Systems (Oshkosh, WI) for the switchgear manufacturer and Hyundai 38kV circuit breakers. The Utility currently has Hyundai circuit breakers at the Indian Hill Substation. There is a possibility that the 2002 vintage Hyundai circuit breakers will be interchangeable with the current version.
Wesco has secured deduct pricing if spare breakers are not necessary for the new switchgear because spares at Indian Hill will serve as dual purpose backups for both locations. City staff conducted reference checks of AVAIL with other utilities and responses were positive with respect to quality and customer service.
The switchgear is designed and built for indoor installation. The Tollway project workplan anticipates that the Tollway building will be complete in the fourth quarter of 2025. The AVAIL equipment is estimated to be delivered by August 2026. Avail provided the cost for storage fees as an option, in the unlikely event that the City is not prepared to receive the equipment. However, the Utility has indoor storage space to stage the equipment in the meantime should any delays occur.
Staff has identified an approved cooperative contract, Sourcewell Cooperative Contract 091422WES through Wesco, for the purchase of 35kV switchgear and circuit breakers.
The gear and breakers are expected to be delivered and deployed in fall 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP#: EU086
Tollway Substation 34.5kV indoor switchgear is expensed to the Infrastructure account listed below. This indoor switchgear is expected to be delivered in 2026, and as a result, expenses will not be realized until then. Staff will ensure there is a sufficient budget in 2026 to fund this award.
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Account Number |
Fund Description |
Total Budget Amount |
|
40251300-551502 |
Electric Utility Fund |
TBD |