Utility Infrastructure
Sale of Texas Water System Finalized
SJW Group has closed on the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Texas Water Alliance Limited (TWA) to Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA). On Feb. 22, 2016, SJW Group entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with GBRA, pursuant to which SJW Group agreed to sell TWA to GBRA for $31,000,000. “..
Grid Operator Discusses New England’s Constrained Gas Pipelines
CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — The independent corporation overseeing the operation of New England’s power system says natural gas pipelines feeding the region are so constrained that electricity prices are driven higher during cold winters. ISO New England President Gordon van Welie (WHEE’-lee) says region..
Indiana American Water Acquires Georgetown Water System
Indiana American Water President Deborah Dewey today announced the company’s acquisition of Georgetown Water, a municipal water utility located in southern Indiana. The purchase of the system adds approximately 1,300 customers to the company’s customer base, which represents a population of approxim..
Utility Honored for Technology Innovation to Predict and Prevent Power Outages
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has been awarded the prestigious AEIC Achievement Award from the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) for a technology breakthrough in anticipating intermittent power failures and, in turn, improving the company’s ability to take preventative ac..
Two American Water Executives Honored
American Water today announced that two of its executives were honored by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Chief Operating Officer Walter Lynch was named a Veteran of Influence, while Deborah Degillio, president of American Water’s market-based business, was among a group of honorees recognized as..
ARCOS' Software to Help Electric Utility Expedite Service Restoration
ARCOS LLC today announced it has started the process of implementing its ARCOS® Callout and Scheduling Suite to help Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) expedite electric service restoration, focus on safety and reduce the utility’s System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), whic..
Vermont Council Reopens Bidding Process for Telecom Utility
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Burlington officials have formed a committee to determine how to vote on a buyer for the city’s Burlington Telecom utility following a failed joint venture proposal. The Burlington Free Press reports a final vote has been scheduled for Nov. 27. The finalists, Ting and Keep Bu..
City OKs Sale of Water System to California American Water
The Bellflower City Council has approved the sale of the city’s municipal water system to California American Water. “We have a strong legacy and presence in the Los Angeles region where we’ve been providing water service for over 50 years,” said Rich Svindland, California American Water President...
EQT Appoints New Directors
EQT Corporation today announced it has has appointed Thomas F. Karam and Norman J. Szydlowski to the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Karam has served as a senior executive and entrepreneur in the midstream energy sector for more than 25 years. He is the founder and Chairman of ..
New York Utility Crews Arrive in Puerto Rico to Help Restore Power
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than 160 electric public and private utility experts and nearly 100 utility vehicles have arrived in Puerto Rico to assist with the recovery of its power grid caused by severe damage from Hurricane Maria in September. Governor Cuomo also announc..
Alaska Commission Rejects Canadian Firm’s Offer for Utility
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s utility regulator has turned down a Canadian firm’s offer to take over Alaska Electric Light and Power citing a legal technicality. The Juneau Empire reported Sunday that the Regulatory Commission of Alaska denied Ontario-based Hydro One’s application to acquire the e..
National Grid, Department of Energy to Collaborate on Grid Modernization and Energy Storage Research
National Grid and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have entered into an agreement to work together on research in the areas of transmission grid modernization and energy storage technologies. The electricity industry is undergoing sweeping changes, inclu..
Firm Opposes Subpoena in Bribery Case Against Ex-Regulator
PHOENIX (AP) – A water company whose owner is charged with bribing a former Arizona utility regulator is opposing a subpoena that orders the Corporation Commission to turn over records as part of the criminal case. Lawyers for Johnson Utilities say the records are related to its rate case before th..
Utility Set to Meet with Officials About Buying Gas Company
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A utility company’s representatives are scheduled to meet with state officials to work on the terms for buying a natural gas business that will bring service to more customers in the Fairbanks area. Interior Gas Utility Board Chairman Mike Meeks and recently appointed board..
Largest Public Tender Database for Water, Sewer Utilities Now Available
AquaSPE AG and H2bid have joined forces to make the largest public tender database for U.S. and Canadian water and wastewater utilities available on The Water Network. Effective immediately, contractors can visit The Water Network’s Business Exchange to view thousands of public tenders sorted by sp..
Oncor, Sharyland Complete Asset Exchange
InfraREIT, Inc. today announced the closing of the asset exchange transaction between the company’s subsidiary, Sharyland Distribution & Transmission Services, L.L.C. and Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, in which Sharyland Distribution & transmission Services exchanged its retail distributio..
Emera Announces Board Appointment
Emera Inc. today announced the appointment of Kent Harvey to Emera’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Harvey is an accomplished executive with more than 30 years of experience at PG&E Corporation. After 33 years in progressively senior roles, he retired as Chief Financial Officer for PG&E..
SJW Group to Purchase Deer Creek Ranch Water System Assets
SJW Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary, SJWTX, Inc., has entered into an agreement to purchase Deer Creek Ranch Water Co., LLC’s water system assets. The system includes approximately 750 service connections over an area of 1,191 acres in Hays and Travis counties on the rapidly growing western fringe o..
American Water Names Brig. Gen. David Turner President of Military Services Group
American Water today named Brig. Gen. David Turner (retired) as the new president of the company’s Military Services Group (MSG), effective Nov. 20. Gen. Turner will replace Todd Duerr, who is leaving the business effective Jan. 1, 2018. “Todd has been a valued leader for the Military Services Grou..
Vermont Town Proposes Joint Venture Purchase of Telecom Utility
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Burlington officials have directed the two buyers vying for the city’s Burlington Telecom utility to figure out a joint venture proposal. The Burlington Free Press reports Councilor Ali Dieng proposed the joint venture Monday night after the two votes to decide a final buyer ..
Emera Makes Leadership Change
Emera Inc. today announced that Nancy Tower will become the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tampa Electric upon Gordon Gillette’s retirement on Nov. 30. “Gordon has played a key role in integrating Tampa Electric into the Emera group of companies, and he is leaving the organization well po..
6 Missouri Utilities to Share $120 Million in Federal Loans
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Six Missouri utilities will use nearly $120 million in federal loans to upgrade the infrastructure for electricity in rural parts of the state. The Missouri grants are part of $2.5 billion in loans the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded for rural electricity projec..
Boil Water Notice Lifted in Rhode Island After Negative E. Coli Test
WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — A boil water notice has been lifted in Westerly, after new testing no longer showed the presence of the E. coli bacteria. The Westerly Water Department lifted the notice on Friday, saying a problem well has been taken offline, and the entire system has been disinfected. ..
U.S. Grid Narrowly Escapes Apocalyptic Attack
The American grid security story grows increasingly grim. Last week, security consulting firm Symantec warned that recent cyberattacks gave hackers direct access to the nation’s power grid on multiple occasions, according to a new report by Wired. This time, not only the United States was exposed, ..
Samples Clear, but Pennsylvania Customers Told to Continue Boiling Water
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pennsylvania American Water says it’s detected no contamination in sampling conducted after the company told 100,000 customers to boil their water. The water company said Wednesday the boil advisory will remain in effect until it gets results from a second round of sampling. Penn..
What A U.S. Electric Grid Attack Looks Like
Modern life has a woven-in thread of vulnerability that is peculiar to our times: electricity. It’s the cardiovascular and nervous system of life across the world, more so in the Internet Age than even 30 years ago. If the nation lost electricity, it would cause an instant and lethal paralysis that..
More than 100,000 Pennsylvania Customers Told to Boil Water
PITTSBURGH (AP) — More than 100,000 Pennsylvania customers are being told to boil their water before using it. At least two school districts canceled classes Tuesday after Pennsylvania American Water issued the advisory for parts of southern Allegheny and Washington counties. The company advised r..
EPA Head Names Oil and Gas, Utility Executives to Science Advisory Boards
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has named a slate of new members to federal science advisory boards, including several who work for chemical and fossil-fuel interests. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced his appointments Friday, after saying he would block sci..
Trenton Water Works Asks Customers to Use Less Water
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The utility company that services Trenton is asking customers to use less water due to operational issues. The Trentonian reports the state Department of Environment Protection issued a release on Saturday requesting Trenton Water Works customers cut back on water use. Accordin..
Electric Utilities Band Together to Support Power Restoration in Puerto Rico
Following Tuesday’s request for assistance from Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) CEO Ricardo Ramos, senior executives from the electric power industry and federal government convened a call last night to discuss next steps for this new phase in the power restoration effort. ..
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- The EPA announces $6.2 billion in funding for Iowa and Kansas water infrastructure