Utility Infrastructure
California American Water Acquires Oxbow Marina Mutual Water Company
California American Water has completed its acquisition of the Oxbow Marina Mutual Water Company in Sacramento. Under the terms of an agreement approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, California American Water will be providing its newly welcomed customers with state-regulated potabl..
12 New Mechanics Join PECO's NatGas Workforce
PECO yesterday welcomed 12 new apprentice mechanics to the company’s field force as they celebrated their graduation from a comprehensive natural gas training program. The new apprentices, along with 12 mechanics who graduated in April 2017, will join the utility’s front lines – helping to ensure sa..
Vortex Infrastructure, Stag Technologies Partner To Expand Offerings
Vortex Infrastructure, a leader in civil infrastructure trenchless solutions, has established a strategic alliance with Salt Lake City, UT-based Stag Technologies, a manufacturer of epoxies, urethanes and other 100-percent solid specialty coatings for the municipal and industrial marketplace. This ..
Former FERC Member Releases White Paper Addressing Problems in the Nation's Electricity Markets
Tony Clark, a senior advisor at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP and a former member of the Federal Energy Commission, has released Regulation and Markets: Ideas for Solving the Identity Crisis, a white paper which shows that almost 20 years after restructuring many of the nation’s electricity market..
Illinois American Water Acquires Forest Homes-Maple Park Public Water District
Illinois American Water has acquired the Forest Homes-Maple Park Public Water District. The purchase of the system adds approximately 500 customers to the company’s customer base in the Alton District. In a public referendum on Nov. 3, 2016, residents of Forest Homes-Maple Park Public Water Distric..
3 Magic Numbers For Underground Construction, Maintenance
Take a moment and flip back to read the title of this magazine. It’s Underground Construction, and deals with – well, underground construction. Water, sewer, gas, telecom and electric; that pretty much covers all the bases. It also covers a lot of miles. According to the Common Ground Alliance, ther..
House Committee Considers Drinking Water Spending
The House committee with authority for approving drinking water infrastructure funding has begun a legislative effort to reauthorize the 1996 law which created the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said both Rep..
Utility & Communications Construction Business Update
By Daniel Shumate Director, FMI Capital Advisors Inc. EDITOR’S NOTE: The past 25 years have seen many changes in the underground utilities universe. Technology advances, regulatory activity and environmental requirements have dictated major alterations in the way companies are managed. Rating as on..
DTE Energy Names Robert Skaggs to Board of Directors
DTE Energy has named Robert Skaggs to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. For more than a decade, Skaggs served as chief executive for both the Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc. and NiSource Inc., a Fortune 500 energy holding company engaged in natural gas and electric utilities and the ..
Report Highlights $300 Billion Municipal Water Infrastructure Opportunities
Pipe and hardware companies should benefit from heightening concerns about U.S. municipal water infrastructure and $300 billion of forecasted capital expenditures over the next decade, according to a new report from Bluefield Research, U.S. Municipal Pipe Markets: Trends, Opportunities and a Changin..
Study: U.S. Water Utilities to Invest $8.3 Billion in Smart Infrastructure
According to US Smart Water Infrastructure: Market Forecast (2017-2027), a new study published today by Northeast Group LLC, U.S. water utilities are projected to invest $8.3 billion in smart infrastructure over the next ten years. “Our survey results show that water infrastructure in the US is mod..
Illinois American Water’s Cairo District Earns National Safety Award for a Second Time
Illinois American Water’s Cairo District received the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Wendell R. LaDue Utility Safety Award for excellence in safety. The award recognizes distinguished safety programs by water utilities and requires excellent safety records for five consecutive years, as wel..
Utility Wins Sixth Straight J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Award
PPL Electric Utilities today announced J.D. Power has ranked the company highest for residential customer satisfaction in its class in the eastern United States for the sixth consecutive year. “PPL employees come to work each day with a mindset that puts customers first,” said Greg Dud..
Nokia to Provide Communications Network for California Utility
Nokia today announced it will provide an advanced communications network to the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) in Northern California to support its hydro-electric power generation and water distribution services in the area. PCWA is the primary water resource agency for Placer County, California..
NRG Energy Plans up to $4 Billion in Asset Sales
NEW YORK (AP) — NRG Energy, the money-losing Northeast electric utility, will attempt raise up to $4 billion through asset sales as it tries lower debt by $13 billion, cut costs and generate profit. The power company, based in Princeton, New Jersey, said Wednesday that the sale could include the en..
DTE Energy Names New State Government Affairs Director
DTE Energy has named Rodney Cole to the position of director, State Government Affairs, leading the company’s policy and advocacy efforts in Lansing, Mich. In his new role, Cole will lead DTE’s Lansing office and will continue strengthening relationships with Michigan’s public sector leaders to crea..
Lawmakers Announce Plan to Extend California Cap and Trade
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders released a plan Monday to extend through 2030 California’s cap-and-trade program, a key piece of the state’s quest to fight climate change by drastically reducing emissions from greenhouse gases. The deal updates how refineries, uti..
Jersey Central Power & Light Announces Changes to Leadership Team
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary, announced today that Mark A. Jones, has been named vice president of Operations and John Anderson has been named vice president of External Affairs. In his new position, Jones is responsible for the operation and maintenance of J..
PECO Celebrates National Lineworker Appreciation Day
In celebration of National Lineworker Appreciation Day, PECO is honoring more than 1,094 utility workers who operate and maintain electric and natural gas systems and facilities and respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, often in challenging conditions, and on weekends and holiday..
Pennsylvania American Water Unveils Interactive Map to Spotlight Pipeline Projects
Pennsylvania American Water has launched an interactive web-based map of its 2017 infrastructure upgrade projects, enabling customers to view details about water and wastewater pipe projects across the company’s service areas. “Often, customers do not see their water bills at work because we may no..
New Mexico Utility Ordered to Release Documents in Rate Case
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s largest electric utility has been told to publicly release documents that were sealed as it pursues approval from state regulators for a rate increase. Two hearing officers for the Public Regulation Commission ruled this week that the utility failed to show the in..
Westar, Great Plains Announce New Plans for $14B Merger
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy have announced a revamped plan to merge after Kansas regulators scuttled an earlier deal. The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2u9t3IX ) reports that the deal announced Monday morning would form a utility with a combined equity value of..
Judge Denies Water Crisis Legal Settlement
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal judge has declined to grant preliminary approval to a $151 million settlement stemming from a 2014 chemical spill that sparked a water crisis in West Virginia. Local news outlets report Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. said in an order Thursday that he wants changes t..
Berkshire Hathaway to Buy Oncor
NEW YORK (AP) — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is buying the Texas power transmitter Oncor for $9 billion, one of his biggest acquisitions. Last year, Berkshire completed its biggest acquisition in its history, a $32.36 billion deal for aviation parts maker Precision Castparts. Oncor se..
City Water Department Van Slides into Sinkhole in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (AP) — Officials say no one was injured when a city water department van slid into a sinkhole that opened up beneath it in Cleveland. The Cleveland Division of Water says the van fell through the ground on the city’s east side on Thursday afternoon. Officials say the water department e..
Peak Utility Services Group Acquires Kelly Cable
Peak Utility Services Group, a utility services provider serving natural gas, telecom, and electric utility markets in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West regions of the United States, has acquired Kelly Cable of New Mexico. As part of the transaction, Mike Ford, the President of Kelly Cab..
Connecticut Water Acquires the Avon Water Company
Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (CTWS) has completed the acquisition of The Avon Water Company (AWC). AWC serves approximately 4,800 water customers in the Connecticut communities of Avon, Farmington, and Simsbury. The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved the acquisition on Apr..
Vermont Utility Regulator Officially Changes Name
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont’s newly named Public Utility Commission says it’s going paperless. The commission, formerly known as the Public Service Board, which regulates utilities, starting using its new name on July 1. On Wednesday, it announced its “declaration of independence” from paper as..
West Virginia Water Agency Head to Retire After Ethics Probe
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The head of a West Virginia water agency will retire after an ethics investigation. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that a letter from Gov. Jim Justice’s office says West Virginia Water Development Authority Executive Director Chris Jarrett will step down and reti..
Water, Sewer Infrastructure Investment Drives Utility's Proposed Rate Increase
Missouri American Water has filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MOPSC) requesting a change in the rates for the company’s water and sewer customers, including an annual revenue increase of $73.9 million for water customers and $800,000 for sewer customers. The main dri..
- Tunnel boring machine ‘Clack-A-Mole’ nears one-third completion in Oregon outfall project
- Explosion in underground PG&E vault leaves one dead in Richmond, Calif.
- Sinkhole in Texas town accrues over $800,000 in sewer rehabilitation costs
- Water and Sewer Damage Awareness Week highlights infrastructure challenges
- Duke Energy undergrounds 48% of Florida power lines with plans to expand as hurricane season peaks
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Elgin, Ill., joins EPA drinking water initiative to accelerate lead pipe replacement
- Dog River pipeline replacement in Oregon improves water supply with new HDPE pipe
- New Portable Welding System From Miller
- GasTracker Accurately Locates Plastic Gas Pipes