Javier Cisneros, director of utilities for the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, told the City Commission on April 14 that FPUA is advancing multiple infrastructure projects, including electric substation upgrades, grid modernization, gas gate station work and construction of a relocated wastewater treatment plant with a multi‑phase conveyance system.

Cisneros said the electric system serves roughly 30,000 customers and has summer peak capacity around 123 megawatts; the utility is adding transformer capacity (upgrades at Hartman, Longwood, Savannah and Kings substations) and plans a new Totten substation transformer to add about 20 MVA, plus a potential southern corridor substation by 2030. Several projects received grant funding (including Department of Energy GRIP awards) and many transformer and automation upgrades are grant‑supported, Cisneros said.

FPUA reported full deployment of automated metering infrastructure (AMI) earlier in 2025 and described a “smart grid” program with 263 automated fault‑isolation devices (“trip savers”) to reduce momentary outages; Cisneros said those devices are being deployed first in poor‑performing, tree‑impacted circuits. He also described a weatherization (WEEOP) program that pays for attic insulation for qualifying customers and that has completed dozens of homes.

On water and wastewater, Cisneros said the agency has about 23 million gallons per day production capacity (about 11 mgd average use today) and is building a new wastewater plant with on‑site construction visible above ground; personnel toured concrete and vertical construction elements. He said Jenkins Road force main work and other conveyance segments (List Station A, boosters and Jenkins Road connections) are staged to allow initial flows to the new plant; some elements are in construction now and others are scheduled through 2026. FPUA expects the new plant to be operational by December 2025.

FPUA is pursuing and has secured substantial grants: Cisneros listed more than $77 million in active grant awards supporting plant construction and conveyance plus additional pending grants for septic‑to‑sewer conversion assistance. He said completed grants already totaled about $8.5 million.

Commissioners asked about annexation and coordination on expansion; several commissioners urged the city to coordinate with FPUA and the economic development council on an annexation strategy to capture industrial and commercial parcels in the western corridor. Cisneros said FPUA will provide maps of service areas and continue monthly coordination as the utility expands gas, fiber and water/wastewater service.

Ending: The commission thanked FPUA staff for the update and expected follow‑up on a series of capital and budget workshops.