Electric
CenterPoint, Vectren to Merge
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and Vectren Corporation have entered into a definitive merger agreement to form a leading energy delivery, infrastructure, and services company serving more than 7 million customers across the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unani..
Professor Tries to Clean PFCs from Minnesota Water
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Simcik has invented a sponge that might be able to clean up one of Minnesota’s worst water-pollution problems, the PFCs in Washington County groundwater. His technique involves putting absorbent material underground. “This stuff is sticky. It sticks to the soil, and the..
New York Sending More Utility Workers to Puerto Rico Power Restoration Efforts
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s governor is heading back to Puerto Rico with more help as the island continues to recover from last year’s catastrophic hurricane. Democrat Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that the state is sending another team of utility experts to assist with repairs to Puerto Rico’..
Excavator Causes Puerto Rico Power Outage
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday after an excavator accidentally downed a transmission line, officials said, as the U.S. territory struggles to repair an increasingly unstable power grid nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria. Officials said it co..
Ditch Witch, Vacuworx Form Vacuum Lifting Technology Partnership
Ditch Witch has partnered with Vacuworx to bring the benefits of vacuum lifting technology to an expanded network of underground construction contractors, landscapers, municipalities and utilities. Vacuum lifting systems are designed to use constant vacuum pressure to handle heavy loads, such as st..
West Virginia American Water Launches 2018 Infrastructure Upgrade Map
West Virginia American Water has launched its 2018 Infrastructure Upgrade Map, an online application enabling customers to view details about water main replacement projects and other water distribution system upgrades throughout the company’s service area. “We owe it to our customers to demonstrat..
New York to Award $15 Million for Electric Grid Modernization Projects
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that up to $15 million is available for projects that will help the state improve the resiliency, efficiency, and overall performance of its electric grid to save on energy and costs to combat climate change. Modernizing the grid supports Gov. Cuomo’..
Pennsylvania Regulators Develop Tool to Improve Chesapeake Bay Water Quality
About 200 leaders from municipal governments, county conservation districts, agriculture, environmental groups, water companies, and other entities today participated in a meeting hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand local engagement in Phase 3 of the pla..
Crews Continue Removing Oil from Underwater Electric Cables
MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — Crews continue to remove coolant fluid from electric cables that sprang a leak in the Straits of Mackinac earlier this week. The U.S. Coast Guard says about 600 gallons (2,271 liters) of mineral-based synthetic oil escaped into the waterway linking Lakes Huron and Michig..
West Texas Oil, Gas Growth Means More Electricity Needed
HOUSTON (AP) — In West Texas, an oil and gas drilling rush has overwhelmed local roadways, housing supplies and a limited pipeline network. Now, the shale boom is straining the region’s electric grid, which was designed to handle a fraction of the power needed by the oil and gas producers that domin..
Virginia Regulators Raise Constitutional Questions About New Utility Law
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – State regulators are questioning whether a new electric utility overhaul recently approved by lawmakers may be unconstitutional. The State Corporation Commission issued a ruling Monday raising the possibility that a new utility-backed law may unfairly disadvantage out-of-state ..
Vortex Companies, Advantage Reline Form Strategic Partnership
Vortex Companies recently announced a strategic partnership with Advantage Reline, developer of a Sprayed-In-Place Pipe (SIPP) trenchless technology for the municipal, industrial and commercial market sectors. “The industry has placed great emphasis on CIPP alternatives and by partnering with Advan..
ActiveCare Direct Monthly Reports: How to Reduce Machine Idle Times and Boost Profits
ActiveCare Direct monthly reports provide insights on idle percentages versus work percentages across the entire fleet, by individual machine and by machine type. This allows you to easily compare utilization by operator and machine, as well as set goals for increased utilization over time. Doing so..
IEEE Publishes 25 Gb/s Ethernet Standard for Enhanced Enterprise and Metro Network Applications Over Fiber
IEEE today announced it has published IEEE 802.3cc-2017—Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for Serial 25 Gb/s Ethernet Operation Over Single-Mode Fiber. The new amendment to IEEE 802.3™ represents the first available industry standard developed specifically to ..
Ditch Witch Enhances Online Parts Lookup Tool
Ditch Witch, a Charles Machine Works company, has released an advanced version of its industry-first, web-based tool that reduces downtime and increases efficiency. The Ditch Witch Parts Lookup gives customers easy access to detailed parts information, and a direct line of communication to dealershi..
Hydro One and Avista Reach Settlement in Principle in Washington Merger Case
Hydro One Limited and Avista Corporation today announced they have filed a Notification of a settlement with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), with a settlement agreement between all parties involved to be filed no later than March 27, 2018. The settlement in principle..
Poll: Majority Believes U.S. Electric Grid is Vulnerable to Enemy Attack
According to a new poll commissioned by Protect Our Power, a not-for-profit organization of renowned experts dedicated to protecting the U.S. electric system, only eight percent of Americans believe the government is doing all it should to protect the electric grid from a potential attack. ..
6 Months After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico Pleads for Help
COROZAL, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Maria shredded the electric poles in this plantain farming town high in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, leaving tens of thousands of people without power or running water. Desperate, residents of the town’s Barrio Mana neighborhood asked federal officials ..
Challenge Launched to Address Global Urban Drinking Water Scarcity
In a partnership with Imagine H2O, Bluewater and 11th Hour Racing today launched the 2018 Urban Drinking Water Scarcity Challenge, a competition designed to address global urban drinking water scarcity. Beginning in April, entrepreneurs developing promising solutions related to Alternative Supply, ..
IoT Technology to Help Canadian City Improve Water Leak Detection
Echologics, a Mueller Technologies company, today announced it will deliver an Internet of Things (IoT) Smart City solution over Bell’s broadband wireless network for the City of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The solution will wirelessly monitor the city’s water pipeline network to help reduce water loss a..
New York Launches Investigation Into Utility Storm Restoration Efforts
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the state’s Department of Public Service (DPS) has formally notified the chief executives of the state’s major electric utility companies that an investigation into preparedness of and response to two early March Nor’easters is now underway. The..
Ridgewood Infrastructure Sells Interests in Neptune Regional Transmission System
Ridgewood Infrastructure, LLC, a value-adding investor focused on water and other essential infrastructure in the U.S. lower middle market, today announced the sale of its managed interests in the Neptune Regional Transmission System. The Neptune Regional Transmission System is a 65-mile submar..
Fiber Optic Sensing Association Releases Installation Considerations for Pipelines
The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the world’s premier trade association for distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS), today released FOSA Installation Considerations for Pipelines, which contains guidance on the selection and positioning of fiber optic cables to maximize the benefits of DFOS..
Trial Demonstrates Control of Fiber Capacity with Real-Time Optical Awareness
Telia Carrier and Coriant today announced the successful completion of a live field trial of cutting-edge technology optimized for real-time optical performance awareness and dynamic provisioning of fiber optic capacity. The industry-first trial, conducted last month on a live fiber route in Telia C..
Adolite Unveils Solutions Designed to Speed Data Providers’ Growth
Adolite Inc. today demonstrated new technology to help providers keep up with accelerating data growth.at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) 2018, taking place March 13-15, 2018 in San Diego, California. With the company’s major breakthroughs in materials science and pr..
Finisar Introduces First 400G QSFP-DD Active Optical Cable
Finisar today announced it will unveil the first 400G active optical cable (AOC) in the QSFP-DD form factor at the Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition (OFC) 2018, taking place March 13-15 in San Diego, California. Leveraging VCSEL technology to achieve the lowest power diss..
Seven California Colleges Receive Grants to Research Conservation Technologies, Programs Through World Water Forum
As part of the 2018 Southern California World Water Forum, Seven California colleges and universities have been selected to receive grants to fund proposals to develop new water conservation and supply technologies in support of a more sustainable water future. From a project that contemplates usin..
Great Lakes Cities Work to Reduce Water Utility Emissions
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Several communities around the Great Lakes are competing to reduce pollution by controlling the electricity they consume from the power grid. Bayfield, Wisconsin, is one of five cities working to lower mercury and other emissions through the Water Utility Energy Challenge, Wisc..
OFS Introduces TeraWave SCUBA 125 Optical Fiber
OFS today introduced the TeraWave SCUBA 125 Optical Fiber, optimally designed to deliver excellent performance for coherent transport submarine systems. The effective area is matched to terrestrial G.654.E fibers for excellent performance from the ocean landing site to terrestrial networks, and..
Virginia Governor Signs Utility Backed Legislation
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Ralph Northam has approved legislation that could lead to substantial new additions to most Virginians’ electric bills while making it easier for utilities to build renewable energy projects and improve the electric grid. Northam signed into law Friday legislation that was..
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- Emergency rehabilitation brings back Baltimore’s Back River outfall interceptor
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Fatal Shawnee trench collapse linked to Oklahoma contractor’s repeated safety violations, OSHA reports
- OSHA cites contractor for fatal trench collapse in New Canaan, Conn.
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Construction worker dies after being found unconscious in trench box
- Tennessee pipeline gets initial FERC approval despite environmental concerns
- Florence, S.C., to fund $537 million sewer, water upgrade with bonds and 5% rate hike