Utility Infrastructure
Omaha Utility Says Water, Gas Rates Likely to Rise in 2018
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha-area utility says work to replace aging infrastructure will see natural gas and water bills in the area rise again next year. Metropolitan Utilities District is planning increases similar to those approved for 2017, the Omaha World-Herald reported . The board ..
Power Restoration Gains in Mississippi After Hurricane Nate
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A southeast Mississippi utility is making progress toward power restoration after Hurricane Nate, while officials continue to assess damage. Singing River Electric Power Association reports Monday morning it has fewer than 1,400 customers remaining without power Monday m..
How Vulnerable Is The Electrical Grid?
When the electricity stops in modern civilization, pretty much everything else stops. Not even gasoline-powered vehicles can get far before they are obliged to seek a fill-up—which they cannot get because gas pumps rely on electricity to operate. When I wrote “The storms are only going to get worse..
California American Water to Purchase Hillview Water Company
California American Water has entered into a Purchase Agreement to acquire the operating assets of Hillview Water Company and assume the provision of water service within the Hillview Water Company service area between Oakhurst and Raymond, Calif. Hillview Water Company, which consists of approxima..
Ex-Santee Cooper Lawyer Returns to Run Utility
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s state-owned utility is bringing back a familiar face to temporarily lead the company as it deals with the problems created by a failed $10 billion nuclear power plant project. James Brogdon Jr. was named interim president and CEO of Santee Cooper by the utilit..
Rancher Gets Prison for Armed Encounter with Utility Workers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A 56-year-old northern New Mexico rancher faces a year and a half in prison after being sentenced for a carjacking conviction stemming from an armed confrontation with utility company workers on his property. Richard Howieson of Costilla in Taos County was sentenced Thursda..
Agency Plans Northwestern Arizona Water Purchase, Transfer
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The operator of the Central Arizona Project aqueduct system is planning to buy water rights in rural northwestern Arizona to transfer the water for use in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. The agency’s governing board approved the purchase agreement on Thursday to buy seven farms c..
Water, Sewer Utilities Report Highlights Factors Driving Purchasing Decisions
SpendEdge has released its Water and Sewer Utilities Procurement Research Report, which provides a strategic analysis of the supply markets, factors influencing purchasing decisions, procurement best practices, pricing models, supplier landscape, and an analysis of the supplier capability matrix for..
Utilities Oppose Expanded Use of 6-GHz Spectrum Band
Expanded use of mid-band spectrum by new wireless broadband services could interfere with critical utility networks used for the reliable operation of the nation’s electricity grid, the Utilities Technology Council told the Federal Communications Commission Tuesday. The FCC is inquiring whether it ..
Utilities Partner to Boost Power Grid Resilience
To help restore electric service to communities after catastrophic emergencies or significant natural events, 28 utilities have now committed to participate in the RESTORE program, which establishes a proactive approach to providing critical equipment for utilities that need additional resources..
Hundreds in Wichita Receive Mistakenly Doubled Water Bills
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of Wichita residents have received bills that mistakenly doubled what they owed for water and sewer services. KWCH-TV reports that the city has confirmed that about 1,400 residents received the bills with the erroneous charges. The incorrect bills were sent out a..
Leadership Changes Announced at SJW Group
SJW Group today announced that W. Richard Roth will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer on Nov. 5, 2017, and the company’s Board of Directors has appointed Eric W. Thornburg as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board, effective November 6, 2017. Roth will serve as Ch..
Connecticut Water Service Makes Leadership Changes
The Board of Directors of Connecticut Water Service, Inc., announced today they have accepted the resignation of Eric W. Thornburg as Chairman, President and CEO, and unanimously appointed David C. Benoit to serve as the Interim President and CEO of the company, its Connecticut operating subsidiarie..
California Water Service Group Names Pottenger to Board of Directors
California Water Service Group today announced the election of Carol M. Pottenger to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective September 27, 2017. The first female three-star Admiral in American history to lead in a combat branch, Pottenger served for 36 years in the U.S. Navy. One of the first ..
American Water Awarded New Contract for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio
American Water Works Company, Inc. today announced that its Military Services Group has been awarded a contract for ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater systems at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. According to the contract, the award revenue is estimated at approx..
Utility Seeks Higher Natural Gas Price For Montana Customers
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A utility company is asking Montana regulators to allow it to increase prices for natural gas for more than 84,000 customers in the state. Montana-Dakota Utilities said Tuesday that the requested rate hike would increase a average residential customer’s bill by about $30 annu..
Maine Governor Taps Paper Mill Manager As Utility Regulator
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – Maine Gov. Paul LePage says he’s tapping a paper mill manager as the state’s latest utility regulator. LePage, a Republican, said Wednesday he’s nominating Sappi mill manager Randall Davis as a commissioner of the state’s Public Utilities Commission. Davis will replace Carlisl..
Nebraska Utility Exec Chosen to Lead National Trade Group
COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska Public Power District executive will lead a national utility trade group for the next year. NPPD’s Chief Operating Officer Tom Kent was recently chosen at the president of RMEL. The group serves the utility industry with education and networking services. The util..
President Trump Nominates 4 to Serve on the Board of the Nation's Largest Public Utility
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump is nominating people from four states to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors. Trump will name Kenneth E. Allen of Kentucky and James R. Thompson III of Alabama for terms that expire in 2021. Allen is retired ..
Indiana Regulators OK Vectren's Grid Upgrade, Rate Increases
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana utility regulators have approved Vectren Corp.’s seven-year plan to upgrade its electrical grid and pass those costs onto its customers through rate increases. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved the Evansville-based utility’s plan Wednesday. The grid ..
Power Back on in Florida, but Utilities Still Under Fire
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — After a massive restoration effort, most of Florida has power 10 days after Hurricane Irma knocked out electricity to nearly two-thirds of the state, mostly because of improvements made to the power grid since Hurricane Wilma 12 years ago. But that may do little to stem a g..
Utility Achieves Methane Capture Milestone
SmSouthern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the company has passed the one million cubic foot mark in its ongoing methane capture initiative. This innovative process allows for gas that would otherwise be vented to the atmosphere during pipeline replacement work to be saved and reinject..
Water District Recognized for Commitment to Safety
Illinois American Water has announced the company’s Cairo District has gone 18 years without experiencing any lost-time accidents. According to Michael Brown, Illinois American Water Cairo District’s Operations Superintendent, ensuring employees complete every job safely requires a daily commitment..
New Jersey American Water Files for Rate Increase Due to Infrastructure Improvements
New Jersey American Water has filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to increase rates by approximately $129.3 million in response to the significant investment the company has made into its water and wastewater infrastructure since its last rate adjustment in 2015. “In less..
Whistleblower Complaint Targets California Utility Regulator
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The former chief administrative law judge at California’s powerful utility regulator said Tuesday she was fired for cooperating with investigators looking into collusion between regulators and executives from Pacific Gas & Electric. Karen Valentia Clopton announced that sh..
90% of Power Outages Restored in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Floridians are still without power more than a week after Hurricane Irma slammed into the state. The state’s emergency management division reported Monday that more than 407,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity. That’s nearly 4 per..
Hydro One and Avista File Applications for Regulatory Approval of Merger
Hydro One Limited and Avista Corporation have filed Applications requesting regulatory approval of the proposed merger of the two companies that was announced on July 19, 2017. The applications have been filed with state utility commissions in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska, as w..
New Jersey American Water Investing $6.5 Million in New Water Mains in Camden County
New Jersey American Water today announced it will invest approximately $6.5 million for the installation of new water mains in its Voorhees and Oaklyn service area. The company will be installing approximately 32,850 feet of new main in this area, replacing water main that was installed around the 1..
Illinois American Water Acquires Piasa Township Sanitary District
Illinois American Water President Bruce Hauk today announced the company’s acquisition of the Piasa Township Sanitary District. The purchase of the system adds approximately 120 customers to the company’s customer base in the Alton District. In a public referendum on April 4, 2017, residents of Pia..
Georgia Power Announces Estimated Restoration Times, Says Efforts Ahead of Schedule
Georgia Power today announced regional estimated restoration times (ERTs) for all areas of the state following Hurricane Irma. The hurricane, one of the strongest and largest storms to strike Georgia in decades, brought high winds, heavy rain and flooding to every county in the state and impacte..
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes