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Council approves bid documents for second rail-campus substation transformer
Summary
The council approved publication of bid documents seeking vendors for a new 10 MVA transformer and related switchgear at the rail campus to meet projected load growth; staff estimated costs in the low millions and noted material and labor cost increases since 2018.
The Seward City Council authorized staff to publish bid documents and seek bids for a second industrial substation transformer at the rail campus to accommodate projected load growth and provide redundancy.
Electric staff explained the existing rail campus substation is a 10 MVA transformer currently peaking at about 5 MVA; expected growth could push campus demand to about 6.5 MVA and the addition will provide capacity and redundancy for maintenance outages. The proposed design mirrors the existing substation and calls for a new 10 MVA, 345 kV to 125 kV transformer along with new reclosers, switch structures and bus support.
Staff (Jared and Larry referenced) reviewed plans and bid specifications with consultant Olsen and recommended the bid package. Council members noted costs have risen since the 2018 original substation project; staff gave a rough estimate in the meeting of “up to $3,000,000 plus” with prior work closer to just north of $2 million but said final cost estimates will be determined in the bid process.
A motion to approve the bid documents and authorize solicitation of bids passed unanimously; the clerk announced votes in favor by council members (names announced in the meeting as Franciscato, Kaylor, Tanias, Colchman, Miller, Singleton, Streisand and Morgan, 8–0).
Next steps include issuing bid documents, evaluating proposals, and returning to council for award of contract and appropriation if required. The project will be subject to normal procurement and purchasing policy requirements and any higher statutory thresholds that apply to the electric utility.
