Utility Infrastructure
EPA Grants Pollution Waiver to Florida Utilities After Irma
WASHINGTON (AP) — State and federal environmental regulators issued a blanket waiver on Monday for Florida electricity companies to violate clean air and water standards without penalty for the next two weeks. The Environmental Protection Agency said the so-called No Action Assurance granted throug..
Study: Utility Customer Satisfaction Reaches All-Time High
Market Strategies International has published its latest Cogent Reports™study, Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential, which shows utility customer satisfaction in America is at an all-time high. According to the study, U.S. electric and natural gas utilities posted an average sc..
California Water Service Group Named Great Place to Work® for Second Consecutive Year
For the second year in a row, California Water Service Group, the parent company of California Water Service, Washington Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, Hawaii Water Service, CWS Utility Services, and HWS Utility Services, has been named a Great Place to Work® by the Great Place to Work® In..
Now a Tropical Storm, Irma Hits Florida with Wind, Flooding
TAMPA, Florida (AP) — A weakened but still dangerous Irma pushed inland Monday as it hammered Florida with winds and floodwaters that created hazards even for rescuers trying to help beleaguered residents. Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm over Florida, but it still had winds near hurricane f..
Orange County Water District Awarded Grant to Improve Water Quality
The Orange County Water District (OCWD), in a partnership with the University of Maryland and CosmosID, Inc., has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that will aid the water industry in its continued effort to improve water quality. The $100k award will be used to apply metagenomics, ..
PG&E Crews Head to Florida in Advance of Hurricane Irma
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it is sending crews to Florida help restore power to those impacted by Hurricane Irma. About 125 PG&E employees, including line workers, equipment operators, supervisors and support personnel, throughout PG&E’s 70,000-square-mile service area ..
FirstEnergy Crews Mobilize to Assist with Hurricane Irma Restoration Efforts
FirstEnergy Corp. today announced it will send nearly 900 linemen, damage assessors, electrical contractors, forestry crews and support personnel to help utilities in Florida with restoration efforts following expected power outages from Hurricane Irma. The crews are scheduled to leave ..
Kentucky Sending Hurricane-Relief Workers South
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky is sending National Guard soldiers and utility workers to help in areas affected by Hurricane Irma. The Kentucky Air National Guard says it is sending about 25 soldiers to the Caribbean to help with search and rescue efforts in the wake of the Category 5 storm...
Tidewater Utilities Selected to Create Delaware's First Non-Profit Utility
U.S. Senator Tom Carper joined representatives from USDA, DNREC, Clean Water Solutions and Tidewater Utilities recently to announce federal funding to support the needs of small, aging rural community wastewater systems in Delaware. The announcement was made in a press conference held at the Country..
Utilities to Conduct Storm Restoration Drill to Help Prepare Employees for Real-Life Events
Ohio Edison and Pennsylvania Power, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., have announced they will conduct a training drill this week to test the companies’ storm restoration process for when severe weather causes wide-spread power outages in the region. Designed to train employees assigned to storm o..
Florida Power & Light Mobilizes Restoration Workforce Ahead of Hurricane Irma
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that they have mobilized a restoration workforce of more than 11,000 employees and contractors in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Irma. The company has activated more than 20 staging sites and is already pre-positioning crews in the areas..
Cities Not Yet Paying Sioux City's Wastewater Service Charge
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Three neighboring cities have yet to pay Sioux City’s long-overlooked wastewater service charge, lest they have to raise local sewage charges. The Sioux City Journal reports that the city discovered the neglected charge during an audit and notified officials in Sergeant Bluf..
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Approves Sempra Energy-Oncor Merger Agreement
Sempra Energy today announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has approved the merger agreement that Energy Future Holdings Corp. (Energy Future) entered into with Sempra Energy on Aug. 21, 2017. This approval is an important step in Sempra Energy’s proposal to acquir..
Algonquin Power & Utilities to Acquire St. Lawrence Gas Company
Algonquin Power & Utilities’ regulated distribution utility business, Liberty Utilities Co., has entered into a definitive agreement with Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. , a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc., to acquire St. Lawrence Gas Company, Inc., a regulated natural gas distribution utility located in..
Ameren Corporation Donates to Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
As the impact of Hurricane Harvey continues throughout Texas and the Gulf Coast, Ameren Corporation is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts. With an eagerness to help those affected by the flooding, Ameren employees are also providing individual contributions. “A..
West Virginia American Water Acquires Queen Shoals PSD Water System
West Virginia American Water has completed its acquisition of the Queen Shoals Public Service District water system. The transaction was recently approved by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and followed several years of discussions with the distressed public service district, which wa..
Illinois American Water to Invest $5.7 Million in Sewer, Water System Upgrades
Illinois American Water’s Peoria District today announced it will invest over $5.7 million to improve its distribution system. The investment includes installing over four miles of water main in Peoria, Limestone Township and Bartonville. In addition, 11 pressure-reducing valves will be installed in..
American Water Resources Collaborates with Dispatch to Improve the Customer Repair Experience
American Water Resources has entered into an agreement with Dispatch to help deliver faster service when customers need repairs on their water and sewer service lines, in-home plumbing, and other home services covered under American Water Resources protection plans. Dispatch is an enterprise custom..
Clean Energy Petition Targets Pollution in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and consumer advocates are petitioning state regulators to consider a new energy standard they say would protect utility customers and shareholders from the costs and risks associated with future environmental regulations. The propos..
Survey: U.S. Utilities Still Feel Underprepared for Weather-Related Outages
The Weather Company, an IBM Business, and Zpryme have released the results of a survey that found that U.S. utility companies still feel underprepared for weather-related outages and that their reactive approach to outage prediction leads to lost time and resources. Key findings include: The Challe..
Federal Utility OKs $10.4B Budget, 1.5 Percent Rate Increase
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A federal utility says it has included a 1.5 percent rate increase in its budget that takes effect in October. The Tennessee Valley Authority says its board approved a $10.4 billion budget and the rate increase Wednesday. The budget keeps operating and maintenance spending f..
California Senators Say Utility Regulators Must Restore Trust
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California Senate panel gave narrow approval Wednesday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s two recent appointees to a powerful utilities commission after imploring them to restore public trust in an agency that’s been damaged by scandals and environmental disasters, including the large..
Drones to Detect Power Outages in Illinois
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — An electrical and natural-gas service company in central Illinois is using a fleet of drones to detect power outages, inspect power lines and poles and plan for construction projects. The News-Gazette reports that Ameren Illinois officials demonstrated the drones Tuesday in Urba..
Robert P. Powers Named to ALLETE Board of Directors
Robert P. Powers, recently retired vice chairman of American Electric Power (AEP), has been elected to ALLETE Inc.’s board of directors, effective Aug. 23, 2017. Powers’ career in the energy industry spans 41 years through his retirement in August 2017. He most recently served as a senior adviser t..
SoCalGas Streamlines Processes to Support Renewable Gas Projects
Southern California Gas Co. has announced new initiatives that will make it easier for renewable gas production facilities to connect to the company’s natural gas pipeline system. First is the creation of a downloadable toolkit to help renewable gas producers and developers who are interested in in..
Xcel Energy Elects New Board Member
Xcel Energy has elected David K. Owens to the company’s board of directors effective immediately. An executive with extensive experience in public policies concerning energy and utility operations, Owens is recognized as an industry expert on business transformation. After 36 years of service, Owen..
Appointees to Powerful Utility Regulator Set to Testify
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Jerry Brown’s two most recent nominees to a powerful commission that regulates natural gas and other utilities are before lawmakers Wednesday for confirmation hearings. Commissioners Clifford Rechtschaffen and Martha Guzman Aceves began six-year terms in January on th..
Juneau Utility's New Owners Say Company Not for Sale
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The company buying Alaska Electric Light & Power Company’s parent corporation said in a letter it is not interested in selling Juneau’s electric utility any time soon. KTOO.org reports (http://bit.ly/2xs20Gw ) Hydro One CEO Mayo Schmidt wrote a letter to the City and Bor..
Sempra Energy Bids $9.45B for Oncor, Topping Buffett Offer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Sempra Energy is buying Texas power transmitter Oncor for $9.45 billion in cash, wresting it away from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Sempra said Monday that it will also pick up $9.35 billion of the company’s debt. To gain possession of Oncor, Sempra will acquire the reorgan..
Buffett's Firm Maintains $9 Billion Bid for Oncor
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s company is maintaining its $9 billion bid for Texas power transmitter Oncor despite competition from a private equity fund. Greg Abel, who leads Iowa-based Berkshire Hathaway Energy, said he doesn’t plan to increase the offer for Oncor, which serves about 10 mill..
- 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