REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Award of Purchase Orders to GE Grid Solutions, LLC for Purchase of Additional Equipment and Services for Silicon Valley Power's GE JungleMux System
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
On July 11, 2023, the City Council authorized the City Manager to issue purchase orders to GE Grid Solutions, LLC (GE) for the purchase of equipment, hardware, and software services for Silicon Valley Power's GE JungleMux system with a total aggregate maximum amount for these purchases not to exceed $2,000,000 through June 30, 2028 (Attachment 1).
The purchase was approved on a sole source basis under Section 2.105.280(b)(2) of the City Code which states: "When required to ensure operation or function to match other products with respect to the repair, expansion or completion of a system, existing structure or program currently in use by the City, including, but not limited to, utility and technology purchases required to achieve interoperability with existing systems or programs."
Silicon Valley Power (SVP) has been using the JungleMux communications multiplexer (JMUX) system manufactured by GE Grid Solutions, LLC (GE) for over 20 years. The JMUX system is a critical infrastructure system installed at SVP's 32 substations. It supports the transmission of data to SVP's control center from various applications, including electrical protection systems, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, video surveillance systems, and metering systems. Due to the proprietary nature of the equipment and software components, continued maintenance and system compatibility require purchases to be made directly from GE.
DISCUSSION
Since the City Council's authorization in 2023, GE has announced that the JMUX system will be discontinued, with a last time to buy date of June 30, 2025. GE will offer limited technical support and repair services for up to seven years, th...
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