Lake Worth Beach's new Electric System Operations hub looks like something out of 'Star Trek'
LAKE WORTH BEACH — The first glances of the city's new Electric Systems Operations Center conjure up a few visual comparisons: an air-traffic control center, an NFL production studio, a sports bar or even the command center of the Enterprise ship in "Star Trek."
But aside from the wow factor, there is a purpose to the upgraded modernization of the sleek-looking system that was recently put into place.
“Our new ESOC incorporates all of the technologies we’ve updated and installed over the past few years on a readily viewable and configurable interactive wall of monitors and smart boards that give us a broad overview of the electric system,” said Jason Bailey, assistant director of electric system operations.
Entering the utility center, a quiet hum fills the building. Technicians monitor a wall of video screens. A click of their mouse zooms onto one of the 28,000 electric meters. Another screen shows a map of electric poles in the entire city.
Acrobatic iguanas, drones, trouble trucks and pinpointing problems on computer screens are all in a day’s work for the Electric Utility staff as they rejuvenate the city’s power system.
The coastal city is the only municipality in Palm Beach County — and one of 33 in Florida — that supplies its own electricity to residents. Over the next decade, about $150 million from the federal government, bond issues and local utility rates is planned to revamp the system that many residents see as outdated and prone to outages.
RELATED: What's up with the mysterious purple streetlights at the intersection of Jog and Hypoluxo?
The new system is part of a massive overhaul that Utilities Director Ed Liberty and Lake Worth Beach are devoted to making run smoother.
“There were no backups. Every day was a crisis when I first started,” said Liberty, who has been executive director of the utility since August 2017.
Lake Worth Beach's new operating systems hub is part of a makeover of its utility
The new system includes a wall of interactive monitors tied to servers and multiple system sensors and meters that gives the 24-7 crew the ability to isolate problems block by block within the city.
The project was funded using proceeds from a revenue bond and is an element of the city’s System Hardening and Reliability Improvement Program.
Good news: Lake Worth Beach residents will soon see a big cut in their utility bills
The new stuff isn’t all high-tech. Looking like bracelets, foot-wide black plastic strips are wrapped around wooden utility poles to bamboozle climbing critters.
“Iguanas, squirrels — they get discouraged when they can’t get a grip on the plastic. They slip off,” said Mike Jenkins, the utility’s energy delivery manager.
Concrete and steel poles are replacing the old wood ones. Drones are taking infrared photos to detect malfunctioning connectors. Newly installed fault indicators — blue, goblet-sized gadgets attached to utility wires — light up amber to signal broken connections.
“Before all these innovations, we would be out there with binoculars and climbing poles looking for the problem,” said Liberty.
Maintaining a smooth operation and speeding up repairs is the ultimate goal.
Outages are tricky, utility staff members say. Storms slash lines. Residents pruning trees hit electric wires. So do landscapers on cherry pickers. Drivers whack utility poles. Fuses blow. Breakers break.
What are Mylar balloons and why are they so troublesome?
And Mylar balloons. The shiny inflatable birthday bubbles are the bane to repair staff.
“You’ll never see those balloons at my house,” said Adrian Wilkins, a systems operator who has often removed the pesky balloons from utility poles.
Mylar is a thin, plastic, polyester film that is different and stronger than traditional latex balloons. It was a Mylar balloon that caused a 15-minute power outage on a sunny afternoon on Sept. 5, 2017, on a utility pole at College Road and Sixth Avenue South. The entire city lost power.
Such shutdowns should be eliminated when a new backup system goes online this year, said Liberty. Called a “tie-line” in the utility biz, the redundant system clicks in when an outage occurs.
“We’ll see less outages,” said David Martyniuq, assistant director of engineering.
Shock to the system: Why pesky critters are causing so many power outages in Lake Worth Beach
Another time-saver in utility’s toolbox is the three mobile repair units.
Nicknamed “trouble trucks,” they patrol the city 24 hours a day. A technician in the white vehicles with the Lake Worth Beach Utility logo responds to a problem when a property owner calls or a glitch shows up on the utility’s system.
Eight times out of 10, the trouble truck staff solves the problem when it’s a minor issue like a blown fuse, foliage interference or a loose connection.
Lake Worth Beach residential utility customers now pay an average of about $115 monthly. That’s the eighth-lowest among Florida’s investor and municipal-owned utilities, according to the Florida Municipal Electric Association.
Want more Lake Worth Beach news?
Sign up for our Post on Lake Worth Beach weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth Beach rolls out new Electric System Operations Center
