Opinion ID: 2261600
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the office of planning and development

Text: An electrical engineer testified on behalf of the Office of Planning and Development. He stated that he visited the Georgetown site and made a cursory inspection of the outdoor substation equipment. He concluded that the North Building and Conduit Shop were unfit for utility use, and that there was an acute need for replacement of the substation. He reviewed the PEPCO proposal and found it satisfactory; however, he proposed an alternative action which could salvage the historic buildings. The proposal would entail looping the cables beneath the Conduit Shop. New construction would be necessary, and additional rerouting costs would be incurred. The proposal was not in final form and required more study and translation into design specifics. A feasibility study had not been done. PEPCO thus rejected this proposal because of the additional time necessary to complete it, and then determine its feasibility. It was also clear that the project would be more costly than the PEPCO plan, and PEPCO sought to provide the most efficient service at the lowest cost possible, consistent with its mandate as as public utility.