Key Biscayne Master Plan 043944000.18w_Key_Biscayne_MP(forJooMag) | Page 22

VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES — MASTER PLAN 3.2 Overhead Infrastructure – Florida Power & Light Electrical service is provided to the Village through a redundant subaqueous Biscayne Bay transmission line crossing from the mainland beneath the Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge and the Mangrove Preserve that feeds an existing FPL substation on the north side of the Village. This substation feeds the Village distribution grid comprised of feeder lines, radial primary taps, secondary services, and individual customer drops. As discussed in Section 3.1, there are approximately 16 pole-miles of overhead electrical infrastructure. The grid is fed by seven main distribution cables originating from the substation. These main distribution cables effectively break the island up into seven service areas based on the total load capacity of each cable. The service areas are all interconnected through a series of switches that provide isolation in the event there is a problem with any specific cable. To better understand how power is delivered to individual homes and businesses, the following is a brief overview of the various components of the existing electrical system within the Village. Electrical power enters the Village from the substation through one of the seven main feeder cables described above. These distribution feeders then branch off to subsequent distribution feeder wires within each of the seven distribution service areas. Each service area is interconnected with aerial switches that provide system isolation and redundancy so all the feeder wires essentially work together to provide power to the Village. Many of the Village’s feeder wires exist underground and head east on Ocean Lane Drive to feed the eastern neighborhoods and high-density resorts and condos. Two others, one overhead and one underground, feed the single-family neighborhood on the west side of the Village. Branching from these feeder wires are the primary distribution wires. These wires are generally those wires that are located in the rear yard easements. The primary wires are connected to the overhead transformers that reduce the voltage to a level that is required by the customer. Secondary service cables then run from the transformer to a service drop, where the wires run down the poles and transition to an underground service, or run aerially, to the meter location. 18 There are some areas of complete underground electrical infrastructure within the Village, including feeder and primary duct banks. In 1971, significant underground infrastructure was installed to feed the east side of the Village. The resort and condo buildings are fed via underground duct to vault rooms that house transformers and switches. In more recent years Cape Florida was undergrounded with old technology, including below grade transformer vaults. These vaults housed the old “can” style transformers. More recently, the Harbor Point area (including W. Matheson Drive and Bay Lane) was converted to underground. In some cases, service drops are buried underground from the primary pole line to the home, however, there are still a significant number of aerial service drops to both residential and commercial buildings within the Village. The following table provides general information related to approximate quantities that make up the FPL power grid within the Village: Table 3–1 — FPL Power System Information Number of Utility Poles 701 Approx Length of Overhead Wire 16 miles Approx Length of Underground Wire 12 miles Number of Overhead Transformers 343 Number of At-Grade Transformers 211 Number of Overhead Switches 41 Number of Capicator Banks 13 3.3 Overhead Infrastructure – Comcast Comcast provides the Village with cable television and communications service through overhead backbone fiber optic lines on the west side and a mix of overhead and underground fiber optic lines on the east side, which then transition to coaxial service lines to the buildings. Based on maps provided by Comcast, meetings with Comcast representatives, and observations made by Kimley-Horn, the network originates outside north of the Village municipal limits and is fed by one main fiber optic cable that runs south on Crandon Boulevard through Virginia Key to the Village. This