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hHP aA IF fa Rx L`:: Y+N IF I rl� "if k d f F <br /> ev <br /> ip <br /> RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES <br /> PUBLIC UTILITIES <br /> Board Memorandum <br /> BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: FEBRUARY 20, 2015 <br /> ITEM NO: 8 <br /> SUBJECT: FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH <br /> LEIDGS ENGINEERING, LLC (FORMERLY SAIC ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT & <br /> INFRASTRUTURE) FOR PREPARATION OF A UTILITY TECHNOLOGY PLAN — <br /> EXTENSION OF TERM <br /> ISSUE: <br /> The item for Board of Public Utilities consideration is approval of an extension to the term of the professional <br /> services agreement with Leidos Engineering, LLC to June 30, 2015 in order to complete the project. <br /> RECOMMENDATION: <br /> That the Board of Public Utilities adopt the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with <br /> Leidos Engineering, LLC(formerly SAIC Energy, Environment and Infrastructure)extending the term to June <br /> 30, 2015. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> On April 19,2013,the Public Utilities Board approved the professional services agreement with SAIC Energy, <br /> Environment & Infrastructure, LLC (SAIC) for the preparation of a Utility Technology Strategic Plan in the <br /> amount of$749,700 with an initial term through June 30,2014. In September 2013, SAIC changed its name <br /> to Leidos Engineering, LLC (Leidos). The project scope included a one-day strategic planning session, an <br /> assessment of current technology systems, needs assessment and gap analysis; preliminary design of a city- <br /> wide communication network to support future distribution automation and automated meter reading systems; <br /> inventory and condition assessment of the Utilities'fiber network,assessment and recommendations related <br /> the City's radio communications; recommendations on near-term and long-term utility technology initiatives; <br /> and recommendations to the organization of the utility personnel engaged in technology projects. <br /> The original project timeline anticipated a final report being completed in the December2013 or January 2014 <br /> timeframe. However,with the hiring of a new General Manager in late January 2014, it was decided to slow- <br /> down the project in order for our new General Manager to provide his viewpoint and vision of technology for <br /> the next decade. General Manager Balachandran spent the next few months getting familiarwith the state of <br /> RPU's technology, as well as meeting with subject matter experts to determine needs for the future. <br /> One of the significant changes in vision from when the project started under our previous General Manager <br /> was consideration of automated metering infrastructure (AMI) and other grid infrastructure modernization <br /> technologies in the near future (some of these technologies have been referred to in the industry as smart- <br /> grid technologies, operational technologies and advanced utility technologies). General Manager <br /> Balachandran, since starting here at RPU, has stressed the need for focus on evolving towards grid <br /> infrastructure modernization at a more fast-follower pace than RPU has done in the past. This focus is <br /> aligned with RPU's goals to "Maximize the use of technology to improve utility operations." <br /> With this update in strategic focus,we requested additional scope to include more specific recommendations <br /> as it relates to evaluating and operating a modern utility(smart grid utility)and include recommendations on <br /> how evolving technologies such as solar and battery storage will affect our grid, in addition to electric <br /> vehicles. None of these items had been addressed in previous report drafts, therefore additional work was <br /> necessary. The costs for this additional work will be included within the total project costs previously <br /> approved by the Board. <br />