Utility Infrastructure
FirstEnergy Announces Senior Management Changes
FirstEnergy Corp. today announced management changes designed to support its transition to a fully-regulated utility company. They include: James F. Pearson, currently executive vice president and chief financial officer, named executive vice president, Finance Steven E. Strah, currently sen..
Hydro One Names Meneley Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Development Officer
Hydro One Limited today announced the appointment of Patrick Meneley as Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Corporate Development Officer, effective March 1, 2018. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading strategy, innovation and mergers and acquisitions. Meneley most recently ..
Texas Electric Cooperatives Announces Alliance with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative
Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) has announced an alliance with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC), a South Central Texas electrical cooperative. The agreement brings more than 9,800 miles of line and more than 80,000 meters in thirteen counties into areas currently served by TEC alli..
Krause Appointed to EPCOR's Board of Directors
EPCOR Utilities Inc. today announced the appointment of Alan Krause to its Board of Directors. Krause served as President, Global of MWH Global until his retirement in November 2017. During his tenure with the company, he served in many different executive positions, including Chairman and Chief Ex..
Low-Flying Helicopter to Map Water Resources in Mississippi
GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) — A helicopter will be flying over parts of the Mississippi Delta to gather information for a 3-D map showing water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey says from late February through early March, a low-flying copter will travel in a grid pattern over rural areas north and w..
Judge Stops Village from Cutting Water to Mobile Home Park
MALVERN, Ohio (AP) — A judge has issued a temporary restraining order to stop an Ohio village from cutting off water to residents of a mobile home park. The Canton Repository reports the village of Malvern was about to stop water service at Sandy Creek Estates Mobile Home Park because those respons..
Utility Investigation School Scheduled at TTC
Geophysics for Subsurface Utility Engineering Professionals Short Course Offered The Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University, in conjunction with the ASCE’S Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI), have teamed up to hold the second TTC/UEIS School from Feb. 26 to ..
Installation of New Transmission Cables Beneath Lake Champlain Completed
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the completion and energization of a $68.7 million major power system infrastructure project involving the placement of new underwater transmission cables, spanning 1.7 miles, across Lake Champlain. The new power cables, laid as much as 195 feet belo..
Florida Utility Wants to Buy South Carolina-Owned Utility
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A Florida power company is suggesting it might buy a South Carolina state-owned utility for nearly $16 billion. Media outlets reported that NextEra Energy is one of several groups interested in buying Santee Cooper after the state-owned utility and South Carolina Electric & Ga..
Water Use Climbs in California Enclaves as Drought Returns
TUSTIN, Calif. (AP) — Overall water use is climbing in Southern California as that part of the state plunges back into drought, driving state and regional water managers as they consider permanently reinstating some watering bans and conservation programs. Gov. Jerry Brown lifted California’s droug..
American Water Appoints Two New Independent Members to Board of Directors
American Water Works Company, Inc. today announced that Jeffrey N. Edwards and Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Ret.), have been appointed as independent members of the company’s board of directors effective March 1, 2018. “We are honored to have both of these experienced and talented individual..
Virginia House Changes Utility Rewrite Bill to Prevent Double Dipping
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia House Democrats and a handful of Republicans have forced a change in a proposed utility-backed rewrite of the state’s electric regulation laws that could save customers billions. The House voted Monday to amend the legislation over the objections of allies of Dominion ..
OGE Energy Names Stafford Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
OGE Energy Corp. today announced that it has named Sarah Stafford controller and chief accounting officer effective March 1, 2018. Stafford will follow Scott Forbes, who announced he will step away from his role as the company’s principal accounting officer effective Feb. 28, 2018. Forbes, who plans..
Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Would Study Sale of Federal Utility’s Assets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The infrastructure plan outlined by President Donald Trump on Monday suggests studying whether the nation’s largest public utility should sell its transmission assets, which Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called “a looney idea” with “zero chance of becoming law.” ..
Virginia Senate Passes Dominion-Backed Regulation Rewrite
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Senate has passed legislation putting new limits on regulators’ ability to lower utilities’ electric rates that are currently earning excessive profits. The Senate voted Friday for the bill, which also providing some rebates for past overearnings. The vo..
Missouri Senate Advances Utility Rates Bill After Daylong Filibuster
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Senate on Thursday advanced legislation that could reward utilities making improvements to their infrastructure with more consistent rate increases on their customers, a move that came after a more than 20-hour, overnight filibuster finally ended. The legisla..
Missouri Senate Endures Filibuster on Utility Rates Bill
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sleepy Missouri senators worked through the night into a new day Thursday as a small group of lawmakers filibustered a bill that could reward utilities making improvements to their infrastructure with more consistent rate increases on their customers. The legislation chan..
Virginia Regulators: Utility Bill Could Mean Billions of New Charges
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Regulators say legislation proposing a major rewrite of the Virginia’s oversight of electric monopolies could result in billions of new charges “paid by customers in higher rates.” The State Corporation Commission sent a letter to lawmakers Wednesday contradicting many of the..
State Regulators Approve Deal in Arizona Water Service Dispute
PHOENIX (AP) — State utility regulators have approved a settlement to a long-lingering dispute between two Arizona water companies over a section of service territory south of Phoenix. The Arizona Corporation Commission on Tuesday approved the settlement, allowing the Arizona Water Co. to kee..
Cleco Corporate Holdings to Acquire NRG South Central Generating
Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC (Cleco), owner of regulated electric utility Cleco Power LLC (Cleco Power), today announced that it will acquire NRG South Central Generating LLC (South Central), a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., for $1 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Cleco will ..
Trump to Nominate Memphis Attorney to Federal Utility Board
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to nominate Memphis attorney John L. Ryder to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s board. A news release from the White House says Ryder would serve a term expiring in May of 2020 if he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Ryder previously..
API: Natural Gas Helps Create Reliable, Resilient Electric Power System
API has released the following statement highlighting the positive impacts that natural gas offers to power generation and following testimony by nuclear energy advocates at today’s House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing. “Our nation’s electric grid is as reliable as it has ever been as dat..
$32K Fine for Ex-Utilities Commissioner Lobbying Colleagues
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s campaign watchdog announced Monday that it is fining a former public utilities commissioner $32,500 for failing to disclose that she was lobbying her former colleagues on behalf of ride-hailing and water companies. The Fair Political Practices Commission annou..
Virginia Gov. Announces Compromise on Electric Rate Overhaul
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s governor is endorsing a major overhaul of electricity regulations sought by utilities in the state, despite warnings from the state’s attorney general and others that customers will end up paying more than they should. Gov. Ralph Northam issued a statement Monday say..
The Infrastructure Marshall Plan
Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief This issue includes our highly anticipated Municipal Sewer and Water Survey. The exclusive survey, conducted last fall by Underground Construction magazine, provides an amazing window into the mindset and funding plans of U.S. sewer/water infrastructure personne..
Vortex Companies
The Vortex Companies, a leading trenchless rehabilitation industry solutions provider, has acquired VacVision Environmental, a trenchless infrastructure and service contractor. Located in South Carolina and Florida, VacVision will significantly bolster Vortex’s brand and strength in the Southeast. ..
Indiana House Member Among Finalists for Utility Commission
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The legislator who leads the Indiana House utility committee is among the finalists for a seat on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission that oversees most of the state’s electricity and natural gas companies. The governor’s office says Republican Rep. David Ober of Albion is..
Utility & Communications Construction Outlook
By Daniel Shumate Director, FMI Capital Advisors Inc. The utility transmission and distribution, and communication distribution industries remain in a multiyear investment cycle driven by the need to repair, replace and upgrade the transmission and distribution infrastructure across the United Stat..
Florida DEP Invests $90 Million In Water Quality Improvement Projects
Florida Department of Environmental Protection has provided more than $90 million toward the recent completion of seven water quality improvement projects in Central and South Florida. The funding was awarded through the Division of Water Restoration Assistance’s various funding resources and progra..
California Water District Publishes New Report Outlining Investments in Conservation, Recycling and Groundwater Recovery
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has published its annual overview of achievements in conservation, recycling and groundwater. Covering fiscal year 2016/17, the report details the backstories behind some milestone achievements, including the district’s cumulative investment of..
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