Easement and Facilities
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Executive Summary
In 2006 following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons that were damaging to electrical systems throughout Florida, the Florida Public Service Commission passed Order #25-06.0342 which “requires the cost-effective strengthening of critical electric infrastructure to increase the ability of transmission and distribution facilities to withstand extreme weather conditions, and reduce restoration costs and outage times to end-use customers associated with extreme weather conditions.”
Florida Public Service Commission
The PSC also adopted a companion Order 25-6.0341 which states “in order to facilitate safe and efficient access for installation and maintenance, to the extent feasible, and cost effective, electric distribution facilities shall be placed adjacent to a public road, normally in front of the customers’ premises.”
As a result of PSC Order#25-06.0342, KEYS has undertaken a multi-year program to respond to the PSC Order which has included testing all poles; replacing all poles identified as deficient; changing our construction standards; and fortifying infrastructure designated as critical (feeder to hospital). Additionally, in order to comply with Order 25-6.0341, KEYS staff has been developing a plan to address facilities that are in inaccessible locations in order to comply with PSC orders and to further have a strong, reliable system. The Utility Board participated in a workshop on the subject on August 23, 2011 in order to better understand the scope of the project and the impacts on customers. Based on input from the Utility Board and continued analysis, KEYS staff has determined that inaccessible facilities should be divided into two categories – those that support primary lines and those that support secondary lines. KEYS Response:
Phase I will address inaccessible facilities that support primary lines and will be addressed over a 36-month period from the time the plan is approved. The primary facilities have been organized into 13 distinct circuits and staff developed the plan by prioritizing the circuits based on reliability criteria. In total, approximately 122 poles will be installed and this will affect up to 163 customer risers. KEYS’ Engineering Department will complete all design work and it is anticipated that all construction work will be completed by KEYS’ Transmission and Distribution crews. The total cost for constructing the new lines and removing the old lines is estimated at $1,036,614.
Program Description
KEYS’ Engineering Department will work closely with the affected customers to help them identify a solution. KEYS (or a contractor TBD) will either set a customer pole, which the customer will assume ownership of, so the customer can continue to use the existing meter center/riser OR KEYS will reimburse the customer up to $2,100 of the costs associated with hiring an electrician to modify the meter center/riser (relocate or extend) so it can receive power from the new lines. This cost is estimated to be $352,871.
KEYS will work closely with the City of Key West and Monroe County throughout the project on a variety of issues including: ADA Compliance, Customer Coordination, Tree Trimming, and Street Lights. Additionally, KEYS will work with AT&T and Comcast to urge these telecommunications companies to move expediently.
Coordination
KEYS’ Engineering Field Representatives will meet with each customer to help establish a solution that best meets the customer’s and KEYS’ needs.
Phase I – City of Key West
Phase II – Lower Keys
FPSC Rulings
Easements & Electrical Facilities
FLORIDA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (FPSC) RULES
COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING LINK IN TO YOUR INTERNET BROWSER AND REFER TO THE RULING NUMBERS LISTED BELOW FOR INFORMATION ABOUT FPSC RULINGS RELATED TO EASEMENTS & ELECTRICAL FACILITIES:
WWW.FLRULES.ORG/GATEWAY/CHAPTERHOME.ASP?CHAPTER=25-6
FPSC RULINGS:
25-6.034 – “STANDARDS OF CONSTRUCTION”
25-6.0341 – “LOCATION OF UTILITY’S ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES”
25-6.0342 – “ELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE STORM HARDENING”
25-6.0343 – “MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC UTILITY…REPORTING REQUIREMENTS”
25-6.0345 – “SAFETY STANDARDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW T&D FACILITIES”
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