Responsibilities will include repair & recovery work on transmission and distribution system, mutual aid to other utilities
The New York Power Authority board of trustees approved the award of $15 million in construction contracts to six companies that will supplement NYPA's own emergency power restoration response and management capabilities. The agreements, approved at the board's Oct. 2 meeting, cover services related to the authority's high-voltage transmission system and would provide mutual assistance resources for transmission and distribution work to other utilities and municipalities when needed. This back-up capability helps strengthen the resiliency and reliability of the state's power grid, a major goal of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "
Reforming the Energy Vision" plan.
"NYPA is often asked to help other utilities or communities in emergencies and it's important to have a stable of support firms available for immediate deployment when emergencies and outages occur," said NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones, who noted NYPA responded to three major storms this year. "We are committed to bolstering our resources to ensure the state's power system is fully prepared for extreme weather events or potential threats to public safety."
The contractors provide NYPA an additional resource in responding to its own transmission emergencies. The workers would also be available to help other utilities and municipalities with repair and recovery work following storms or in other emergencies impacting the electric grid.
The five-year contracts were awarded through a competitive bid process to companies that have capabilities, capacity and experience with the construction, maintenance and restoration of high-voltage transmission lines.
See the full list of companies receiving contracts
HERE.
