Utility Infrastructure
Insights and trends: Latest developments in utility and communications construction
The beginning of 2024 is shaping up to be just as dynamic as we had expected going into the year. The election stage is set for November, the Federal Reserve is trying to thread the needle between fighting inflation and making the “soft landing,” and most distressing, we all witnessed a terrible tragedy in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Judge orders Pennsylvania utility to release inspection records related to fatal natural gas explosion
Pennsylvania utility regulators must turn over inspection records to the National Transportation Safety Board as part of the federal agency’s probe into a fatal explosion at a chocolate factory last year, a federal judge ruled this week.
Georgia’s Cobb County proposes new stormwater management fee to tackle aging infrastructure
Cobb County is grappling with the challenges posed by aging infrastructure, prompting officials to consider innovative solutions. In response, they are suggesting the introduction of a stormwater utility fee, projected to range from $2 to $4 monthly for the average homeowner.
Fastwyre Broadband invests $65 million to upgrade fiber optic network in Eastern Nebraska
Fastwyre Broadband is making significant investments to upgrade its fiber-optic network in Eastern Nebraska, promising faster internet speeds and enhanced connectivity for underserved communities in the region.
Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
Surveys and studies reveal that professional excavators/contractors are highly aware of Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) 811 initiative that requires they (as well as landscapers and homeowners) contact their state’s OneCall Center so underground utility lines are identified and marked before breaking ground.
Private utility wants to bypass Georgia county to connect water to new homes near Hyundai plant
Rep. Ron Stephens, a Savannah Republican, tells the Senate committee that state regulators' water limits on Bryan County's withdrawal from the Floridan aquifer, the region’s main water source, are hindering new home construction for Hyundai’s workforce, urging an expedited expansion of the county's water system.
CenterPoint Energy sells Louisiana, Mississippi natural gas assets for $1.2 billion
CenterPoint Energy Inc. has announced the sale of its Louisiana and Mississippi natural gas LDC businesses to Bernhard Capital Partners, a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm, for $1.2 billion.
Two fired utility execs and a former top Ohio regulator plead not guilty in bribery scheme
Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, Senior Vice President Michael Dowling and Sam Randazzo, a former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio who is also federally charged, were indicted by a Summit County grand jury Friday on a combined 27 criminal counts, including bribery, theft, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records and money laundering.
NW Natural Water expands water utility presence in Oregon, Arizona
NW Natural Water Company LLC has expanded further in two states with the acquisitions of Hiland Water Corp.’s water utility business in Newberg, Oregon and Truxton Canyon Water Company and Cerbat Water Company near Kingman, Arizona.
White House renews calls on Congress to extend internet subsidy program
The White House is pressing Congress to extend a subsidy program that helps one in six U.S. families afford internet and represents a key element of President Joe Biden's promise to deliver reliable broadband service to every American household.
Mexico’s Supreme Court rules against electricity law favoring state-owned utility over private firms
A panel of Supreme Court justices in Mexico ruled Wednesday against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s rules that favored the state-owned electrical power company over private power companies.
Chinese hackers are determined to 'wreak havoc' on US critical infrastructure, FBI director warns
Chinese government hackers are busily targeting water treatment plants, the electrical grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure inside the United States, FBI Director Chris Wray told House lawmakers Wednesday in a fresh warning from Washington about Beijing's global ambitions.
Proposed $4.3 billion merger of Avangrid, New Mexico utility abandoned
Officials with New Mexico's largest electric utility said Tuesday that a proposed multibillion-dollar merger with a U.S. subsidiary of global energy giant Iberdrola has been scuttled.
Regulators’ recommendation would mean 3% lower electric rates for New Mexico residential customers
Staff for New Mexico’s utility regulators have recommended new rates for the state’s largest electric provider that would result in about a 3% decrease for residential customers instead of the 9.7% increase Public Service Co. of New Mexico was seeking.
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.
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.
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.
Illinois regulators slash gas utility rate hikes, halt controversial pipe-replacement program
(UI) — In a sweeping rebuff of four different utilities, Illinois regulators have sharply curtailed record rate hikes proposed for more than 4 million gas customers across the state, while also blocking most spending on a controversial pipe-replacement program that has fueled a heating affordability crisis for consumers in recent years.
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.
CGA’s GIS case study highlighting value in facility mapping information
(UI) — Common Ground Alliance (CGA) recently released a groundbreaking case study as part of its Next Practices Initiative titled “PILOT: Improving Efficiency and Reducing Damages by Providing Ticket-Level Visualizations of Underground Facilities to Designers, Locators and Excavators.”
CGA’s DIRT report correlates infrastructure investment with increased excavation damage
(UI) — Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, recently announced the findings from its 2022 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT). It revealed concerning increases across key damage indicators.
USIC collaborates to align utility locating resources with BEAD program infrastructure deployment
(UI) — USIC announced that is collaborating with state broadband leaders and internet service providers to ensure the utility locating resources required to support nationwide broadband deployment funded by $42.45 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program grants over the next five years.
Contractor killed in San Francisco trench collapse, prompts investigation
(UI) — A contractor in San Francisco's Lower Haight died on Sept. 28 after a trench beneath a sidewalk collapsed. While five workers managed to escape, one male worker became trapped under eight feet of dirt and debris.
West Virginia American Water completes $27 million acquisition of Jefferson Utilities
(UI) — West Virginia American Water has completed the acquisition of Jefferson Utilities, including the assets of Jefferson Utilities, Inc., Valley Water and Sewer Services, Shenandoah Junction Public Sewer and East Jefferson Sewer Services for $27 million.
California utilities commission approve underground natural gas storage increase at site of nation’s largest methane leak
The California Public Utilities Commission voted 5-0 to permit underground storage of up to 68.6 billion cubic feet of gas at the vast Aliso Canyon field on the northern edge of Los Angeles County as a way to guard against fuel price spikes.
Houston and San Antonio face sewer, water struggles amid central US deadly heat wave
Deadly heat has gripped Texas for much of the summer and has now spread into other parts of the central U.S., where it is expected to persist for days. Triple-digit temperatures are buckling roads, straining water systems, and posing a threat to the power grid of the nation’s energy capital.
Federal judge orders utility to turn over customer information amid reports of improper water use
In a Monday court filing, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate granted a motion by Ted Henifin — the federally appointed interim manager of Jackson’s water and sewer systems — that compels Entergy Mississippi to turn over names, addresses and contact information for customers in over 30 zip codes in the area.
Digitalization will power future of utility workforce, Info-Tech Research Group says
The utilities industry faces significant obstacles, including inadequate funding and resource support and a limited understanding of digital solution development. To overcome these challenges, utilities must gain a deeper understanding of their workforce and cultivate a culture that embraces openness to change.
Federal investigators find leaking natural gas pipe fitting at site of Pa. factory explosion that killed seven
The older fitting had a known tendency to crack, and it was added to a federal government list of pipe materials with “poor performance histories” in 2007, the safety board said. But it was left in place during utility work two years ago and remained connected to the natural gas system.
Achieving more accurate utility infrastructure mapping with the help of an app
(UI) — More than 217,000 utility damage events were reported in 2021, according to the latest Common Ground Alliance DIRT (Damage Information Reporting Tool) Report. The three leading causes of these reported utility strikes were: digging without calling 811, failure to pothole and/or maintain clearance, and locating issues due to incorrect and/or outdated maps.
- North America 2024 Pipeline Construction Outlook: New LNG Terminals Lead Call for More Pipelines
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Ditch Witch 1030
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis