Adam RollinsThis story was originally published in the Government Contracting Pipeline newsletter from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. To have the latest government contracting news stories from across the country delivered straight to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
Electric utility companies in Florida will receive $873.2 million to expand rural electrical infrastructure. The funds will support design, construction and operation for transmission lines, smart grid technologies and power generation facilities.
Seminole Electric Cooperative will spend the lion’s share of the funds – totaling $750 million – to build and operate a natural gas-fired 575-megawatt (MW) natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) generation facility. They plan to build this new facility alongside associated transmission facilities and a 230-kilovolt interconnection tie-line. Once completed, the facilities will service 42 Florida counties.
Peace River Electric Cooperative will receive more than $65.8 million for a project nearly identical to Seminole Electric Cooperative’s. The funds will enable the company to build a natural gas-fire 575-MW NGCC generation facility, transmission facilities and a 230-kV interconnection tie-line. The facilities will also provide power for 42 counties in Florida.
Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative will use $42.4 million to support a number of distribution system improvement projects. The allocation will enable the company to deploy smart grid technologies, including 1,770 miles of fiber to provide improved service to four Florida counties.
Finally, Tri-County Electric Cooperative will receive $15 million to expand electrical infrastructure to connect more than 1,300 customers. As part of the expansion, plans include building and improving 104 miles of line and deploying smart grid technologies to support seven counties.
Image by Ken Toshima from Pixabay
