FPUA approves purchase of TripSaver reclosers under DOE GRIP grant
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Summary
The board approved a sole‑source purchase of two TripSaver II reclosers for distribution‑line protection as part of a Department of Energy GRIP grant. The units, from S&C Electric via Stewart C. Irby Company, are budgeted as fully reimbursable under the grant and were approved not to exceed $1,371,864.81.
FPUA staff presented a request to purchase two TripSaver II distribution reclosers as part of a U.S. Department of Energy Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) grant and the board approved the sole‑source purchase.
Eric Meyer, electric and gas supervisor and engineer, said the GRIP award funds upgrades including auto‑transformers, distribution power transformers, substation protection upgrades and distribution line protection. He told the board staff plans to deploy the TripSaver II units from S&C Electric Company in locations most affected by outages to improve automatic sectionalizing and reduce field dispatches. The proposed sole‑source purchase through Stewart C. Irby Company was presented as fully reimbursable under the GRIP award and staff requested authorization not to exceed $1,371,864.81.
Board members asked about reimbursement timing for grant draws. Rachel from the grants team said reimbursement timing depends on the granting agency and, for DOE, staff has not yet received reimbursements because spending only recently began; typical reimbursement processing may take three to five weeks once submitted.
The board approved the purchase by roll call; staff said no local matching funds are required for this purchase and deployment will be coordinated with grant reporting requirements.
