KUA, along with governmental partners, dedicates new Domingo Toro substation

Kissimmee Utility Authority, along with its governmental partners, officially dedicated the Domingo Toro substation, a $20 million substation that is now powering customers in east Kissimmee, including the Neptune Road residential corridor as well as the Bridg fabrication facility, The OC office building and the NeoCity Academy in NeoCity—a new 500-acre master-planned technology district being developed by Osceola County. Later this year, two additional feeders will be completed at the substation to power Osceola Heritage Park and surrounding area.

The substation was planned in 2007 to address future growth. That was while Domingo Toro, a native of Puerto Rico, sat on the board (1997-2007) as its first Hispanic member. He served a term as Director, during which the Cane Island plant units 3 and 4 were panned.

“He was instrumental in implementing its internet domain, KUA.net,” KUA President Brian Horton said.

“Domingo was an instrumental part of this utility for the better part of a decade,” Horton said.

Toro, who has retired to Tennessee, was not available for Friday’s ceremony, but his daughter Nancy and son-in-law Miguel accepted a token of KUA’s appreciation

County Commission Vice Chair Viviana Janer called the dedication and full implementation of the substation, “One more win for NeoCity. As the project grows, so does its need for power,” she said.

“And with all sorts of sensor and wafer technology going on, that access to uninterrupted power is critical,” said BRIDG CEO Chester Kennedy.

“Glitches you wouldn’t even notice in your homes that wouldn’t make the lights flicker can cause a major disruption in our manufacturing process,” he said. “To have access to quality power is critical to our success. I was astonished by the partnership between the county, city of Kissimmee and KUA reapidly came toegether to strengthen the infrastructure.”

“I was talking with our facilities manager, and said since the substation went online we haven’t had a glitch. We were averaging about 100 per month that were problematic to our processes. This is a hugely important piece to us, and it’s amazing.”