December 2024 Vol. 79 No. 12
Newsline
Newsline: Latest industry developments
USDA allocates $194M for rural water and sewer projects, economic growth
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced over $194 million in grants and loans to support 118 projects across rural and Tribal communities in 14 states and Puerto Rico. These investments aim to boost economic opportunities, modernize critical infrastructure, and address community needs.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted the initiative’s impact, emphasizing local collaboration: “The Rural Partners Network has broken down barriers so underserved rural communities and families can access the resources they need to prepare for the future.”
The funding will enhance essential services, including water and sewer infrastructure improvements in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Alaska. In southern Georgia, it will support workforce training for heavy equipment operators and welders, while North Carolina will revitalize local businesses affected by floods.
Excavation begins for Ontario Line’s first downtown subway tunnels
Excavation has started near Exhibition Station for the Ontario Line’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site.
This 16-meter-deep shaft will mark the starting point for two TBMs that will create twin tunnels spanning approximately six kilometers—the first downtown subway tunnel project in Toronto in over 60 years.
The twin tunnels will stretch from east of Exhibition Station to just west of the Don River. Once tunneling is complete, the shaft will serve as a transition portal, allowing Ontario Line trains to move from elevated to underground tracks.
When fully operational, the 15.6-kilometer Ontario Line will extend transit access to 227,500 more residents in Toronto.
FERC approves Texas-Louisiana expansion project by Natural Gas Pipeline Company
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the Texas-Louisiana Expansion Project, filed by Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, a Kinder Morgan subsidiary, according to a FERC filing on Nov. 21.
The expansion, designed to enhance natural gas transportation capacity between Texas and Louisiana, is part of an effort to meet the growing demand for gas transportation services in the Gulf Coast region.
The project is designed to provide 467,000 Dth/d of firm transportation service – achieved through a combination of reserved unsubscribed capacity and 300,000 Dth/d of new eastbound capacity on the Louisiana Line – to meet the growing demand for natural gas in the Gulf Coast region of Texas and Louisiana.
The Louisiana Line consists of two 30-inch-diameter pipelines extending eastward from Compressor Station 302 in Montgomery County, Texas, to Vermilion Parish, La.
The expansion will involve modifications at two existing compressor stations in Texas: Compressor Station 302 in Montgomery County and Compressor Station 343 in Liberty County. The work includes adding new equipment to increase capacity and optimizing the existing units.
Additionally, auxiliary facilities, including gas cooling equipment, motor control centers, and filter separators, will be installed at both stations.
FERC concluded that the project would benefit system reliability and have minimal impacts on landowners and surrounding communities, making it consistent with public interest criteria.
In response to a 2022 open season solicitation, Natural secured binding precedent agreements for 337,000 Dth/d of firm transportation capacity, representing 83 percent of the proposed project’s total capacity.
The shippers include Devon Gas Services, EDF Trading North America, Golden Pass LNG Terminal, and Delfin Midstream, highlighting strong industry backing and regional demand.
PG&E buries over 800 miles of powerlines in high wildfire-risk areas
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has undergrounded more than 800 miles of powerlines since launching its wildfire safety initiative in 2021.
This milestone follows the completion of over 360 miles in 2023, the most in a single year for the company. Customers in 27 counties are now served by these buried lines, reducing wildfire risk by 98 percent in affected areas and improving service reliability.
"Undergrounding powerlines is a key layer of protection in our strategy to reduce wildfire risk and improve reliability for our customers," said Matt Pender, PG&E's Vice President of Undergrounding and System Hardening. "Reaching this milestone is a testament to our commitment to our hometowns and our continued focus on delivering safe and reliable electricity."
PG&E aims to complete 250 miles of undergrounding in 2024, with more than 187 miles already finished this year. Work continues in high-risk areas like Spring Valley (Lake County), Vacaville (Solano County), and Pine Grove (Amador County). By 2026, PG&E plans to have buried over 1,600 miles of powerlines across 30 counties in Northern and Central California.
The company uses advanced risk modeling and fire-propagation technology, similar to tools used by CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service, to prioritize high-risk areas. Updates on progress are available on PG&E’s website, including an interactive map of ongoing and completed projects.
Fiber Broadband Association, Frontier study estimates $3 trillion value in fiber deployment
Frontier, in partnership with the Fiber Broadband Associated (FBA), today published a new study that finds deploying fiber in the U.S. could generate an estimated $3.24 trillion in economic impact by increasing housing values, lifting average household income and creating jobs.
The U.S. is currently behind most developed countries in fiber deployment, with approximately 62 million broadband serviceable locations — including 56 million households — lacking fiber access. As the largest pure-play fiber internet provider in the country, we want to raise awareness of the economic benefits of expanding fiber access and highlight how directing existing public funding towards fiber deployment can maximize these benefits.
This study is the first to quantify the significant incremental economic benefits of fiber deployment, even in the presence of other high-speed broadband technologies like cable. According to the research study, here’s how fiber deployment in the U.S. could fuel $3.24 trillion in economic growth:
Deploying fiber to the 56 million U.S. households unserved by fiber can generate $1.64 trillion in net present value (NPV) in increased housing values. Fiber deployment has the potential to create at least 380,000 new jobs in the U.S. economy.
DC Water continues progress on Potomac River Tunnel Project
DC Water has announced the opening of West Potomac Park Drive SW, a new road constructed as part of the Potomac River Tunnel (PRT) Project. The road provides an easy way to get around the main construction site in West Potomac Park, which will remain active until the project's completion in 2030.
Construction on the Potomac River Tunnel began in June 2024 with the closure of Ohio Drive and traffic was temporarily detoured to West Basin Drive SW. Following the project’s completion in 2030, Ohio Drive will be restored to its original route, and West Potomac Park Drive will be closed and restored to park space.
The Potomac River Tunnel (PRT) is the next major phase of the DC Clean Rivers Project, DC Water's ongoing program to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the District's waterways. The project consists of a large-diameter deep sewer tunnel, diversion facilities, drop shafts, and support structures to capture flows from existing CSOs along the Potomac River and convey them to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The 18-foot-diameter tunnel will run deep underground beneath the Georgetown waterfront, along the edge of the National Mall and East Potomac Park, past Hains Point, and connect by gravity to the existing Anacostia River Tunnel. Construction will require two tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Starting from West Potomac Park, one TBM will mine south through mostly soft ground, and another TBM will head north to bore through rock.
The PRT 2030 completion date is required in the Consent Decree DC Water signed in 2005 with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and the District of Columbia. Once the PRT is operational, it will reduce CSOs to the Potomac River by 93 percent in an average year of rainfall. CSOs impair water quality by increasing water bacteria levels, which negatively impacts aquatic life and contributes to an increase in the amount of trash in waterways. An estimated 654 million gallons of CSOs enter the Potomac River each year by average rainfall.
McCarthy-Jacobs JV to expand groundwater desalination in Southern California
The McCarthy-Jacobs joint venture has been awarded the contract to design and build the Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion, a major initiative under the Water Replenishment District (WRD) of Southern California’s Brackish Groundwater Reclamation Program.
The project aims to treat brackish water from the West Coast Groundwater Basin, creating a resilient local drinking water supply for over 88,000 residents and reducing reliance on imported water.
The expanded facility will employ reverse osmosis membrane technology to remove salts from groundwater, delivering high-quality drinking water. It is expected to be one of the first municipal brackish water facilities to integrate reverse osmosis and nanofiltration treatment processes.
With an estimated capital cost of $160 million, the Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion will boost the facility's capacity to produce up to 9 million gallons of drinking water per day, with full-scale operations targeted for 2027.
The project also includes constructing new groundwater extraction wells and raw water pipelines to support the expanded desalter's operations.
Alaska Transportation Dept. to spend $1 million on feasibility study for tunnel megaproject
Alaska state transportation officials will conduct a $1 million feasibility study to evaluate the costs, benefits and environmental impact stemming from its proposed transportation tunnel connecting Anchorage and Point MacKenzie, according to Anchorage Daily News. The tunnel is planned to be built underneath Knik Arm, the northern branch of Cook Inlet.
The potential for the underground roadway has been studied and discussed at length for decades, with a 2019 study estimating a cost of more than $900 million. If approved, the project is projected for completion by December 2025.
The study is intended to explore ways to meet “current and future transportation needs,” and to alleviate traffic from the Glenn Highway, local transportation officials told Anchorage Daily News. It’s estimated that one-third of residents living in the Mat-Su region commute to Anchorage for work, and the region is experiencing rapid growth.
A Knik Arm bridge project has previously been proposed, but rejected for a multitude of reasons, including cost and environmental impact. Former Gov. Bill Walker halted bridge plans in 2016, but not before the state had spent over $100 million on the project.
According to a transportation spokesperson, the feasibility study will offer better insights into construction strategies and associated costs, and ultimately will mean less impact to the local environment. Officials are hopeful that advancements in tunneling technology over the past decade will help advance the project.
However, some locals are resistant to the idea of a tunnel megaproject, drawing on skepticism that it’s simply not feasible. Vocal opponents are urging the state transportation department instead to allocate public funding to projects that are more achievable and better supported by the public.
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