Renewable Energy: Wind

Under a $7.5 million contract with MSE Power Systems, O’Connell constructed the project’s two collection substations, overhead collection lines, ten miles of pole supported overhead 115kV transmission line, and the New York State grid point of interconnect 230kV switchyard. Construction began in winter involving site clearing, excavation, and pole setting on the steep, rugged slopes of the Bristol Hills. The combination of our experience and fleet of specialized all-terrain equipment and track vehicles enabled us to meet the challenges of the project and complete work within the construction window, even with numerous scheduling, weather, and site access setbacks.

The overhead transmission line O’Connell constructed connects Cohocton Wind’s two collection substations on opposing sides of New York Interstate 390. Our crossing of the interstate coincided with that of another large area construction project which we successfully managed simultaneously without interruption to either. Throughout the project, O’Connell was able to utilize the regional railroad system for delivery of poles as well as removal of logs from site clearing.

Project management on the ground and back at the office maintained strong working relationships with area government and regulatory officials as well as regular communications with resident land owners to facilitate successful construction activities. Our experience working within agricultural districts and our utilization of local forces helped breakdown barriers that could have further inhibited construction progress.

O’Connell’s Technical Services Division commissioned elements of the system to ensure they met with the interconnecting utility’s standards and specs. We remained engaged in the project past our contractual obligations to provide counsel and help ensure a seamless energization of the system.

What started as a small condition assessment job on a retired substation by O’Connell’s Technical Services Group led to our getting the complete electrical construction package at Steel Winds, subcontracted from the Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group. We repaired and modified the existing substation to accept power generated by the wind turbines, installed the underground collection systems and overhead transmission lines, tower wiring and grounding, and ran fiber optics for all data communications.  We wrapped up the project where it all began—at the substation—by providing final systems acceptance testing and commissioning.  Today, we provide preventative maintenance services to the new site owners.

On the Wethersfield project O’Connell contracted with Noble for $6.5 million of electrical construction and testing work. We demonstrated our strength in several areas key to successful wind park operation: power grid Point of Interconnect (POI), switchyard construction, overhead transmission line construction, and total system testing and commissioning.

Construction services included a 230KV POI ring bus switchyard and the six miles of overhead 230KV transmission line. O’Connell’s Technical Services Division conducted end-to-end testing from the collection substation to the switchyard along with functional testing and commissioning of the switchyard.

The project was completed on schedule.

O’Connell’s contribution spanned three diverse aspects of the Noble Bliss project—testing, power line construction, and data communications.

Prior to breaking ground, Nobel contracted with our Technical Services Division to provide acceptance testing for the project’s underground cable while it was still on spools at their warehouse. After construction, we performed all acceptance testing for the site’s overhead collection and tower grounding systems and on each of the 67 turbine tower transformers. We also provided site energization and start-up support.

O’Connell’s Power Line Division sealed a deal with Noble for $3.6 million to do their part. Line work involved running 115kV overhead transmission line between the site’s 34.5/115kV substation and grid interconnection substation, 14 miles away, and 25 miles of overhead collection system, single, double, and triple 34.5kV circuit Hendrix Cable construction. All line work was completed within 10 months.

Our Communications Division was awarded the fiber optics portion of the project. Fiber cable carries crucial operation and performance data from instrumentation on each turbine to a single collection point at the site. From there it is transmitted to a commercial processing center where it is monitored and analyzed. O’Connell reel tested and installed 90,000 feet of fiber optic cable, performing 1600 terminations, 110 aerial and pedestal splice points, and all final post-termination fiber testing