Council approves $411,000 purchase request and sole‑source designation for high-voltage breakers

Jacksonville Beach City Council on March 3 approved a purchase request from Beaches Energy Services to replace failing 26 kV breakers and declared Myers Control Power LLC a sole-source supplier for the work.

Nicholas Johnson, an electrical engineer with Beaches Energy Services, told the council the utility has 51 26.4 kV breakers across five substations and that multiple breakers were exhibiting end-of-life symptoms after diagnostic review. He said two recent failures at Penman Substation made immediate replacement there a priority. Johnson said staff requested the council move $411,000 to purchase long-lead items (breakers and associated relays) and said the breakers have extended lead times — staff cited roughly a 33-week lead time.

Council members asked whether other breakers across the system are also at or near end of life; staff said the replacements approved at the meeting were targeted to Penman Substation and that other substations (including Jack’s Beach) are on a planned schedule in the capital-improvement program. Director-level staff (Alan Putnam) explained retrofit options are available but costlier and lengthen lead times; performing a like-for-like replacement of the specific breaker type used in the metal-clad switchgear at Penman Substation was the most practical solution.

Council approved the purchase motion and a separate motion to declare Myers Control Power LLC a sole-source provider. The council recorded yes votes for all members present on both motions.

Johnson and other staff said they expect the replacements to reduce near-term failure risk; staff also said they maintain a small number of spares at other configurations but that Penman’s metal-clad switchgear requires that specific breaker type.