CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Sole Source Procurement 23-182, Automated Switchgear, to Universal Utility Supply Company for an amount not to exceed $1,701,295
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DEPARTMENT: Electric Utility
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Groth, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Electric Utility (EU) continues to invest in the automation of the electrical grid and currently has 142 automated switchgears installed that work together to determine the section of faulted cable and then automatically isolates it to minimize the number and duration of outages.
DISCUSSION:
The EU is recommending the purchase of nine underground distribution automation (DA) switchgear which will replace existing overhead DA switchgear. These devices will be installed in 2024 during the undergrounding of overhead feeders.
In addition, the EU is seeking to upgrade 31 existing DA switchgear with new controls. This upgrade will enable the EU to utilize more secure communication protocols and improve the reliability of communication between devices and the control room during a fault condition.
Universal Utility Supply Company (UUSCO) is the sole distributor of S&C hardware. The continued use of S&C hardware maintains standardization and uniformity throughout the system. Switching to a new provider would require a new SCADA and automation system be designed and/or extensive integration work. Working in a hybrid system does not guarantee all functionalities be available.
Currently, there is a 55-week lead time for the equipment with an expected delivery by August 31, 2024.
After this initial purchase, the Electric Utility anticipates procuring and adding three DA switchgear per year over a five-year period beginning in 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP#: EU049
The purchase of automated switchgear is associated with the work being done on EU049. Staff is not anticipating expensing this switchgear until 2024 due to the current lead times. While the 2024 b...
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