Telecom/Electric
PirTano Construction expands electrical offerings with Powerlink Electric acquisition
Mike Piraino, President of PirTano, said, "The acquisition of Powerlink will operate as a new electrical division, and brings additional service offerings and bench strength of employees as we look forward to continuing to support our customers while capitalizing on additional opportunities."
Alaska Communications to invest $40 million to expand fiber broadband network in 2024
In the last two years, Alaska Communications deployed fiber to the home to about 10,000 homes in Fairbanks and Anchorage, along with a fiber build to a multi-dwelling unit in downtown Juneau.
OPALCO invests in underground power lines project in Washington's Doe Bay area
OPALCO has commenced a project to relocate overhead power lines to an underground system, covering the (temporary) Doe Bay bridge to the Eagle Lake intersection in Washington.
DOE awards $34 million for advancing underground power line technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $34 million for 12 projects across 11 states to strengthen and modernize America’s aging power grid through the development of cost-effective, high-speed, and safe undergrounding technologies.
Greenville, S.C., residents eligible for $3,000 power line burial support from Duke Energy
In a collaborative effort, Duke Energy and Greenville, S.C. introduced the POWER ON initiative, aiming to assist homeowners in burying their power lines and ensuring a reliable energy supply.
Oak Hill Capital to invest $250 million in expanding Wire 3’s Florida fiber broadband network
Wire 3 is actively expanding its fiber network across Florida communities within Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Orange, and Marion counties.
PG&E hits milestone with 600 miles of underground powerlines, reducing wildfire risk for 20 counties
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has constructed and energized more than 600 miles of underground powerlines since its ambitious 10,000-mile undergrounding program started in mid-2021, the company announced on Dec. 20.
FirstLight to bring fiber broadband to rural Maine communities with federal funding
FirstLight currently has nearly 4,000 fiber route miles in Maine and continues to expand its network. Its fiber network connects to the cable landing station in Halifax, Nova Scotia and traverses a unique route through the state and into Boston, Mass.
ABB to support electrical utility sector with new U.S. manufacturing facility
ABB Installation Products broke ground on its new manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to meet increased demand for ABB’s leading Elastimold cable accessory solutions used to improve grid-hardening through cable undergrounding to help power millions of homes, businesses and communities.
Union County, Ga., breaks ground on $20.5 million fiber broadband expansion project
Kinetic will lay about 550 miles of fiber optic cable in the expansion project to bring high-speed internet to residences, businesses and schools.
San Diego's North Park neighborhood celebrates undergrounding of power lines
(UI) — The North Park neighborhood in San Diego, Calif., recently celebrated a significant milestone as it witnessed the removal of overhead power lines from their community.
CGA publishes telecom white paper on preventing utility damage trends
(UI) — Based on research among telecommunications stakeholders, CGA’s new research points to the sector’s impact on the U.S. damage prevention system as a whole and recommends key actions telecom organizations can take to drive damages down.
Fiber Broadband Association brings fiber broadband education to rural North Carolina communities
Partnering with broadband internet provider Fybe, the two organizations will leverage the OpTIC Path course to produce a pipeline of expertly-trained fiber broadband technicians that will connect rural communities to high-quality fiber broadband networks.
Oregon power company to pay nearly $300 million to settle latest lawsuit over 2020 wildfires
Electricity utility PacifiCorp will pay $299 million to settle a lawsuit brought by about 220 customers who were harmed by devastating wildfires in southern Oregon in 2020.
Texas Electricity Supply Chain Map receives critical infrastructure updates to improve emergency response
The map has has more than 21,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines and approximately 60,000 miles of electric transmission lines.
Fiber Broadband Association program selected as primary fiber optic training for Job Corps.
The OpTIC Path program provides an in-depth training course that can be delivered by schools, colleges, training centers, and employers to develop the talent needed to safely and efficiently deploy fiber networks and connect communities to high-performance broadband.
Metronet installs over 170 miles of fiber optic infrastructure in North Carolina with $70 million investment
Metronet has officially declared the City of Fayetteville a Certified Gigabit City Powered by Metronet after the company’s ultra-high-speed, multi-gigabit fiber optic network became accessible to a majority of households and businesses throughout the city.
Kinetic to lay over 440 miles of fiber optic cables in Colquitt County
Kinetic will use about $21.4 million in state grant money from the federal government. The company will invest $11.1 million and cover any cost overruns.
MDU Resources to expand electric, natural gas utilities, pipeline businesses with $2.8 billion investment
MDU Resources intends to become a pure-play regulated energy delivery business consisting of electric and natural gas utilities and a natural gas pipeline business.
Fiber Broadband Association to develop telecom workforce by linking technicians to potential employers
FBA members and Learning Alliance partners can leverage Talent Link to gain a direct pathway to certified fiber technicians who are qualified to safely and efficiently build the fiber broadband networks that many communities still need.
Wisconsin's $42 million broadband infrastructure grant sees overwhelming demand
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) have announced that the Wisconsin Broadband Office received 124 applications requesting $221.6 million for the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program.
New York Transco's $1.4 billion power line plan receives state nod
(UI) — New York Transco has received the green light from New York State's utilities regulator on Thursday for three transmission projects. As part of this comprehensive project, the developer plans to introduce three new underground cables linking Long Island to the broader state.
New Jersey to replace 46 miles of underground electrical lines with $935 million infrastructure proposal
EnergizeNJ will offer more customer benefits through key investments that include replacing approximately 46 miles of aging underground lines with modern and more protected wiring.
Mainstream Fiber Networks plans rapid Indiana fiber-optic expansion with Searchlight Capital investment
The investment is anticipated to create numerous job opportunities across the state as Mainstream expands service to new markets.
Prysmian secures $955 million deal for one of the largest transmission infrastructure projects in U.S.
Under the terms of the agreement, Prysmian Group will be responsible for the design, manufacture, construction, installation, and commissioning of Clean Path New York’s HVDC (high-voltage direct current) 400 KV single core cable system with XLPE insulation.
Georgia’s largest utility asks regulators to secure more power generation with natural gas
Georgia Power said it wants to build or contract for at least 3,365 more megawatts of generating capacity. That would be enough to power about 1.4 million homes.
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company to acquire Horizon Telecom for $385 million
Horizon’s unique 7,200 route-mile fiber network is the largest and most dense network across its footprint with over 9,000 on-net locations.
Verizon deploys over 200 miles of fiber in Delaware six months ahead of schedule
Nearly 2,000 homes and businesses in Camden, Dover, Smyrna, Bridgeville and Ocean View now have access to high-speed internet.
altafiber to bring fiber optic network to 65,000 new addresses across Ohio
altafiber has invested more than $1.5 billion into its fiber network to date, reaching approximately 730,000 addresses.
Eaton to increase North American power line undergrounding with additional $85 million investment
To increase supplies of its critical underground protective connectors, Eaton is creating approximately 300 new positions, expanding its manufacturing facility in Queretaro, as well as adding new injection presses and manufacturing equipment.
- Emergency rehabilitation brings back Baltimore’s Back River outfall interceptor
- DeLa Express moves forward with 690-mile Permian-to-Louisiana pipeline
- Fatal Shawnee trench collapse linked to Oklahoma contractor’s repeated safety violations, OSHA reports
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Editor’s log: The road to rehab intensifies
- 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
- Washington Watch: Congress stalls on pipeline safety bill as PHMSA nears key rule decisions
- Tennessee pipeline gets initial FERC approval despite environmental concerns