Originally published December 5, 2014
By Daniel Perez
UTEP News Service
While most Miners are away from The University of Texas at El Paso on a long winter’s nap, a cast of hundreds will be pulling double shifts to finish a project that will improve electrical reliability throughout campus for decades to come.
More than 200 of UTEP’s Facilities Services employees, as well as a cadre of El Paso Electric Co. workers, will be part of Operation Power Upgrade from Dec. 26, 2014, through Jan. 1, 2015. This project will build a redundancy of service that will divide the electric load among three feeder lines instead of two, and connect an Automatic Transfer Switch to reroute power when necessary within seconds as opposed to hours.
But for this operation to be completed with the necessary level of safety and precision, University leaders decided to shut down almost all power to buildings on the main campus that use those lines. As a result, buildings will be locked down and elevators and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems will be temporarily inoperable.
An initial shutdown test of information technology systems conducted Nov. 21 with Enrollment Services and Institutional Advancement went well, said Greg McNicol, associate vice president for business affairs – facilities management. His office has overseen four neighborhood meetings on campus, including three the week of Dec. 1, to inform staff and faculty about this operation and its immediate and long-term impact.
“This is going to be a very meticulous procedure as we lock up the buildings and turn off one major system at a time,” said McNicol, who added that most of his employees will work on the project because of its enormity. “It’s almost all hands on deck.”
Organizers have gone to great lengths to inform UTEP personnel, especially research faculty, about the upcoming power upgrade and have tried to accommodate the electric needs of each person and entity.
One example is working with Sodexo, an international food service company that has overseen campus concessions since 2001. As a result of the proactive planning, the company was able to secure three large refrigerator/freezer trucks that will preserve food used for retail and catering, said Adriana Ruiz, Sodexo’s operations manager.
“We’ve been in talks for some time at every level so we feel well prepared,” Ruiz said.
Preparation work around campus is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26 and 27. The power upgrade work is planned for Sunday, Dec. 28 through Wednesday, Dec. 31. The post-work power restart should start around noon on New Year’s Eve. The first block of buildings will be tested to make sure the work was done correctly. When McNicol and his team are satisfied, the next two blocks will be powered up one at a time. The job should be completed Thursday, Jan. 1.
Leslie Chagnon, El Paso Electric director of distribution, design and delivery, said the utility has worked with the University on the planning of this more than $2 million project for approximately two years. This includes the installation of 7.1 miles of underground cable. Part of the preparation was to secure a temporary power feed to the north end of campus during the operation.
“This is an extensive project,” said Chagnon, an alumna who graduated from UTEP in 2000 with an M.B.A.
While much of campus will be impacted, there are about 20 buildings and complexes powered by different feed lines and will not lose power. Among them are the Don Haskins Center, the Hilton Garden Inn, the Student Recreation Center and student housing at Miner Village and Miner Heights.
Critical campus personnel will set up in the community room of UTEP Police Headquarters, 3118 Sun Bowl Drive, during the power upgrade. Updates will be posted on the University’s On The Move website. Many IT services will remain active during the operation such as email, library servers and Blackboard. The University hopes these conveniences will keep students and staff off campus.
UTEP officials have rented light towers that will be powered by portable generators and strategically aimed at buildings and streets to maintain safety and security around campus. UTEP Police Chief Cliff Walsh said the campus and its assets will be secured through increased patrols.
“Additional resources will be used to help us monitor the University,” Walsh said.
Before leaving for the holidays, faculty and staff are advised to take the following steps to prepare for the power upgrade:
– Empty and unplug your refrigerators
– Turn off and unplug your computer and other electronics
– Take delicate plants home
– Take home foods and medicines that require temperature control