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.
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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