Duke Energy floats streetcar solution

Duke Energy? ? Duke Energy Latest from The Business Journals Cincinnati, Duke making progress on moving utility linesNC groups raise objections to Duke-Progress mergerN.C. groups raise objections to Duke-Progress merger Follow this company Corp. would have the ability to shut down Cincinnati's streetcar system and city residents could be billed for utility relocation costs under two recent proposals made by the utility.

City officials and Duke Energy have been negotiating for months over the cost of moving gas and power lines to make way for the city?s streetcar project. In January, the city said it was willing to pay up to $3 million for what it then estimated to be a $6 million job. Duke Energy argued it would cost at least $18.7 million, and it didn?t want to pay for any of it.

At least part of the differing cost estimates came from Duke?s insistence that its underground infrastructure must remain at least eight feet from the streetcar slab. After visiting Portland and Washington, D.C., Duke modified its position. Now, it agrees with the three-foot separation advised by city consultants.

?Duke Energy Ohio has agreed to a shorter distance of separation from our underground utilities to the edge of the streetcar slab, as long as the city and company can reach agreement on strong operating agreement principles,? Duke Energy spokesman Jason Walls said. ?This agreement would allow Duke Energy to shut down the streetcar to make repairs, which will help to ensure the safety of both our employees and streetcar passengers.?

Walls said the utility would try to ?schedule routine types of work in off hours,? but he added that emergency repairs could lead streetcar service to be halted for several hours at a time. Walls is trying to determine how often that might happen.

The city?s streetcar project manager, Chris Eilerman, said he?s ?not aware of any draft agreement? between the city and Duke Energy. He also declined to provide an estimate on how Duke Energy?s revised approach will impact the streetcar budget.

Monk covers downtown Cincinnati economic development, Hamilton County commercial real estate, government, politics and Procter & Gamble Co.

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