Business

INTREN Promotes Hughes to Regional Vice President

INTREN LLC has promoted Sean Hughes, the company’s ComEd Account Manager, to Regional Vice President, Central Region, and will be reporting directly to President Lance Rosenmayer, effective immediately. “Sean brings years of operating experience and a deep commitment to our customers to this role,”..

LAN Honored for Work on Texas Water Pipeline Project

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas has awarded civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) a gold medal for its work on the Layne water pipeline and infrastructure project. The award, given under the water and wastewater services category, will be presented ..

Idaho Commerce Department Director to Join Utility

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Department of Commerce Director Megan Ronk is stepping down to take a job with Idaho Power after nearly two years of leading the commerce department. Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced Monday that the department’s chief operating officer, Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, will take ..

Kansas Regulators to Review Westar Merger with Great Plains

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Shareholders overwhelmingly approved a proposed merger of Kansas’ largest electric company with a Missouri firm Tuesday, a move that aims to create a new unified company with a combined equity value of about $14 billion in a revised deal that still requires regulatory approval. ..

Avista Shareholders Approve Merger with Hydro One

Avista Corporation today announced its shareholders have approved the proposed acquisition of the company by Hydro One Limited. “We are pleased that our shareholders have demonstrated their strong support of this transaction and the value and benefits it will provide for all of our stakeholders,” A..

Westar Energy, Great Plains Energy Shareholders OK Merger

Westar Energy, Inc. and Great Plains Energy Incorporated, the parent company of Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), today announced the companies’ shareholders have approved the proposals necessary for the merger between the two companies. “We are excited about today’s approval from shareholders of ..

TransCanada to Test Water in Drainage Ditch Near Pipeline Spill

AMHERST, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota official says TransCanada Corp. plans to test water from a drainage ditch near the site of a 210,000-gallon oil spill from the Keystone pipeline to determine if it is polluted. Brian Walsh, a manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resou..

Company Halts Power Restoration Efforts in Puerto Rico over $83M Owed

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Whitefish Energy Holdings said late Monday that it was halting work to help restore power in Puerto Rico because the U.S. territory’s government has not paid crews as part of a contract that led to accusations of overcharging and incompetence and contributed to the resig..

Aegion Announces Leadership Changes

Aegion Corporation today announced that, effective Nov. 18, 2017, David A. Martin has resigned his positions as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and David F. Morris has been appointed as the company’s interim Chief Financial Officer. Following more than 20 years of dedicated ser..

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. “..

Pipeline Upgrades Included in PG&E's Proposed Gas Transmission and Storage Plan

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today submitted a comprehensive proposal as part of its 2019-2021 Gas Transmission and Storage (GT&S) rate request to California regulators. The request outlines how the company will continue to achieve increased levels of gas safety by strengthening and moder..

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..

Vermeer Southeast Celebrates 50 Years in Business

Vermeer Southeast Sales and Service Inc. culminated a year-long celebration of 50 years of providing the Southeast with equipment, parts, service and solutions for the underground construction market and tree care industry. The company began operations in 1967 as part of an emerging sales and servi..

Avanti International Names New President, Director

Avanti International announced Frank Aguilar has been appointed President, and Angela Magill, widow of founder David Magill, has been elected Director, effective Nov. 8, 2017. In their new roles, Aguilar and Magill will work together to achieve strategic operational goals, utilize proper resource al..

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..

GridLiance Makes Leadership Changes, Moves Headquarters

GridLiance today announced that J. Calvin Crowder has been named President & CEO and Alison Zimlich has been named Chief Financial Officer. Crowder brings 25 years of electric utility industry experience to GridLiance, including expertise developing long-term transmission expansion, regulatory and ..

Route Survey Completed for Subsea Fiber-Optic Cable Project

As part of Crosslake Fibre’s project to lay the first subsea fiber-optic cable directly across Lake Ontario, Pioneer Consulting’s oceanographic experts have completed the marine route survey, which will help establish the most reliable route for the project. Once installed, the 60-kilometer cable wi..

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..

New York Accepting Nominations for Public Service Award

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that nominations are now being accepted for the Empire Star Public Service Award, a $5,000 professional development scholarship program for state employees. Nominations are being accepted for those who have distinguished themselves through their dedication..

National Rural Water Association Partners with Department of Labor on Apprenticeship Program

The National Rural Water Association (NRWA), today announced a partnership with the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to launch a nationwide apprenticeship program. The WaterPro Apprenticeship Program, tailored to water and wastewater system operations specialists, is now a nationally-reco..

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..

Pure Technologies Receives Pipeline Condition Assessment Contract

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) has awarded Pure Technologies’ wholly-owned subsidiary, Pure Technologies U.S. Inc., a contract worth up to US$4.2 million over five years for the inspection of their Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipelines (PCCP). Work under the contract ..

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 ..

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..

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..