Airport Distribution Feeder Replacement Project

The 2.6-mile Airport Feeder provides prime power to the Saint Paul Airport, as well as the City’s drinking water source and treatment plant, USCG Loran Station, and National Weather Service station. The Airport Feeder was constructed in 1988 using direct bury, non-jacketed concentric neutral cable. The concentric neutral is in direct contact with soil, is failing due to corrosion, and is in critical need of replacement. The Saint Paul airport is the only commercially available means of travel on or off the island. The airport is unmanned, and equipped with sensitive instrument flight approach equipment critical for safe landings. Reliable power is essential to support the airport instrument landing system and airport runway lighting. Airport operations would be adversely affected: nighttime medivacs would be unavailable due to the lack of runway lighting and instrument landing support system. Failure of this critical feeder poses an imminent hazard to the community of Saint Paul.

This project will replace the antiquated multi-feeder vacuum switch with new state of the art switchgear and replace the existing 2.6-mile Airport feeder and install fiber optic cable to the water treatment plant and the wind power site at the Airport. The TDX village corporation wind farm is connected to the CSP grid but is poorly utilized due to lack of control coordination. The new fiber optic cable will enhance future improvement of wind power integration and provide the added benefit of upgraded communication for the Airport, City facilities, US Coast Guard, and the National Weather Service. A new solid dielectric switch at the airport will provide a distinct motor operated switch for the TDX for better wind-power integration.