Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Joseph Morris
Department: Port Everglades Division: Director’s Office
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO APPROVE Grant Agreement No. 693JF72440044 with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (“MARAD”), with MARAD agreeing to grant up to $850,000 for the Broward County Port Everglades Shore Power Duct Bank Design Project, and County agreeing to pay the remaining expense (estimated at $1,110,000), in substantially the form attached as Exhibit 1; to authorize the County Administrator to execute the Grant Agreement; to authorize the County Administrator to execute any subsequent change order(s), supplemental(s), amendment(s), and certifications requested by MARAD relating to the Grant Agreement that impose no additional financial obligations on the County, subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney; and authorize the County Administrator to take the necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement and administer the Grant Agreement.
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Why Action is Necessary
Pursuant to Section 20.31(b)(3) of the Broward County Administrative Code, grant agreements to be executed by Broward County must be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for approval.
What Action Accomplishes
Approval of the substantial form of the Grant Agreement enables the County Administrator to accept the grant on behalf of Broward County once the final documents are received from MARAD.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☒County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE PORT EVERGLADES DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
This action supports the Broward County Board of County Commissioners’ (“Board”) Value of “Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives,” and the Goal of “Ensuring accessible, seamlessly integrated investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices, manufacturing, resilient infrastructure, and environmental protection.”
This grant will partially fund the Port Everglades Shore Power Duct Bank Design Project. The funding for the Grant Agreement comes from Federal funds appropriated through the 2024 Port Infrastructure Development Program, Community Project Funding (“PIDP/CPF”) appropriations.
The overall project is for the design and construction of shore power infrastructure for the eight cruise terminals at Port Everglades. Commercial vessels use diesel engines while at berth to power auxiliary systems such as lighting, air conditioning, refrigeration, and crew berths. Shore power systems have the potential to significantly reduce emissions by enabling vessels to turn off their engines and instead plug into the local electricity grid to power auxiliary systems while at berth. The improved air quality will reduce air pollution to achieve healthy air quality for communities surrounding the Port.
At full implementation, the avoided port and near-port annual emissions are estimated to be 11,366 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) over the no-action scenario-a nearly 25% decrease. This level is equivalent to removing emissions generated from 2,470 cars per annum. Shore power projects require significant investments in landside infrastructure.
This PIDP/CPF grant in the amount of $850,000 will offset the overall cost of the design. The additional $1,110,000 of estimated additional costs will be met by local matching funds identified and committed by the Port Everglades Department. The grant will partially fund the design and engineering required to construct and install approximately 3.75 miles of concrete encased duct bank system with conduits for power feeder cables and fiber optic cabling, including manholes as determined by the design. The new duct bank will run from a proposed Florida Power and Light (“FPL”) substation to be located within the existing Port Everglades Clean Energy Center to locations adjacent to the Port’s eight cruise terminals. In several locations the duct bank will terminate between terminals, eliminating the need to bring the duct bank separately to each terminal.
Port Everglades will construct and own the duct bank, and FPL will have a perpetual easement. On April 16, 2024 (Item No. 17), the Board approved a perpetual Exclusive Underground Cable Easement Agreement for FPL to install, operate, and maintain cabling within the duct bank. Design and engineering of the duct bank is one of the first steps in advancing the Shore Power Systems Infrastructure project.
The proposed Grant Agreement requires acceptance of MARAD’s General Terms and Conditions, which have been reviewed and approved as to form by the Office of the County Attorney. These General Terms and Conditions impose various obligations, including reporting requirements, as a condition of funding. Since the Grant Agreement is still undergoing final review within MARAD, approval of the substantial form of the Agreement will allow the County Administrator to execute the grant agreement when it is received from MARAD, provided there are no substantive changes. The action also authorizes the County Administrator to execute any future amendments to the Agreement that impose no additional financial obligations on the County.
Source of Additional Information
David Anderton, AICP, PPM, Assistant Director, Port Everglades Department (954) 468-0144
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
This grant is funded by MARAD under the Fiscal Year 2024 PIDP/CPF and will offset up to $850,000 of the cost of the design and permitting for the Broward County Port Everglades Shore Power Duct Bank Design Project. Matching funds (approximately $1,110,000) are included in the Port’s approved Fiscal Year 25 Capital Program.