Business

Companies Set Subsea Industry Benchmark for Fiber Optic Cable Capacity Reach

Infinera and Seaborn Networks have completed a successful subsea field trial demonstrating the industry’s highest spectral efficiency on an ultra-long-haul subsea cable. The 8QAM trial demonstrated 4.5 bits per second per hertz on Seaborn’s Seabras-1 cable, with a distance of more than 10,500 kilome..

Xylem Expands Hurricane Relief Efforts

Xylem today announced plans to expand its support to $900,000 in contributions and volunteer time to the recovery and rebuild efforts underway in response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The company’s actions include monetary contributions, employee plus matching gift donations and an expansion of it..

Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management Names Ajay Jain to Board of Directors

The Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) recently appointed HR Green’s Ajay Jain, PE, CFM, to its Board of Directors. As a member of the Board, Jain will also be chairing the Inter-Organization Committee, charged with assuring regular communication between IAFSM and ..

Pipe Restoration Technologies Awarded Lead Pipes Patent

Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC, makers of the ePIPE®, Lead-Free, Leak-Free™ and LeadSmart® product lines, today announced that it has been granted U.S. patent #9764354. This patent is related to the ePIPE system of in-place pipe restoration which reduces lead leaching from underground water serv..

Colin Sabol Appointed President of Xylem’s Sensus & Analytics Businesses

Xylem Inc. has named Colin Sabol Senior Vice President and President of Sensus & Analytics, effective October 1. Sabol succeeds Randy Bays, who will move into an advisory role with a focus on Xylem’s global manufacturing operations. Both will report to Xylem President and CEO, Patrick Decker. Xylem..

Ukiah Valley Sanitation District Announces New General Manager

The Ukiah Valley Sanitation District has named Joe Tait General Manager. In his new role, Tait will be responsible for navigating the district through its lawsuit against the City of Ukiah, while also restructuring the district and driving innovation and best management practices to provide ratepaye..

Montana Utility to Build Natural Gas Pipeline to Doosan Bobcat Factory

ISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Bismarck-based Montana Dakota Utilities is building a $13.8 million pipeline to provide natural gas to a South Korea-owned manufacturing facility in southeastern North Dakota. MDU says construction of the 12-inch, 21-mile long pipeline to the Doosan Bobcat Inc.’s factory in Gwi..

Ex-Water Corporation Boss Gets 8 Years for $1 Million Fraud

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The former head of a not-for-profit corporation formed to oversee the water services for the city was sentenced on Friday to more than eight years in prison for accepting nearly $1 million in kickbacks. Linda Watkins Brashear pleaded guilty in 2015 to fraud for participating in ..

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 ..

North Dakota Settles with Dakota Access Pipeline Builder

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators have approved an agreement settling allegations that the Texas-based builder of the Dakota Access pipeline violated state rules during construction.North Dakota’s Public Service Commission last year accused Energy Transfer Partners of improperly reportin..

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..

CommScope CFO to Retire

CommScope today announced that Mark Olson, executive vice president and chief financial officer, intends to retire from the company, effective March 31, 2018. CommScope will retain a leading executive search firm to help identify the company’s next chief financial officer and will consider internal..

Miners & Pisani, Inc. Expands Presence In Utility Market

Miners & Pisani, Inc. has hired two industry veterans to lead the company’s utility sales division, representing Honeywell’s HPS – Honeywell Process Solutions line of natural gas measurement, flow correction and flow control products as the Authorized Distributor and Channel Partner for gas utilitie..

Vermeer Acquires Remaining Interests in McLaughlin

Vermeer Corporation today announced it has acquired the remaining interests of McLaughlin Group, Inc. The company originally acquired a minority interest in McLaughlin in 2012.  “Our initial investment in McLaughlin created the ideal opportunity to determine how the company culture and product port..

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..

All Rover Pipeline HDD Activities Can Resume

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved Energy Transfer Partners request to resume Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) operations along the Rover Pipeline Project. Drilling operations at nine HDD locations approved by FERC are expected to begin within the week, with an emphas..

Atlantic Sunrise Compressor Station Construction Project Begins

Williams Partners L.P. today announced that construction is underway in Pennsylvania on the greenfield portion of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project – an expansion of the existing Transco natural gas pipeline to connect abundant Marcellus gas supplies with markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeas..

Furukawa Electric to Expand Fiber Optic Cable Production Capacity

Furukawa Electric Company today announced plans to nearly double its 2016 fiber optic manufacturing capacity by 2019 and to also increase its fiber optic cable manufacturing capacity. Between 2014 and 2016, the company increased its global fiber production capacity by 20% and initially planned ..

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..

Goldfield to Assist with Irma Restoration Efforts in Florida

The Goldfield Corporation has mobilized all of its power line construction personnel and related equipment from its Florida and Texas operations are committed to storm restoration work in Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma. Although the company is providing restoration services to most of the ma..

Ameren Sends Second Wave of Workers to Assist Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts

Ameren announced it will send more crews to Florida, bringing the company’s total to approximately 1,000 employees and contractors assisting in the restoration and rebuilding efforts in response to Hurricane Irma. The company also announced an additional $25,000 donation to aid Red Cross relief..

Illinois American Water's Pekin District Celebrates 7 Years of Safety Excellence

Illinois American Water announced the Pekin District has gone over 7 years without experiencing any lost-time accidents. “Safety is on our minds every minute of every day,” Cord Crisler, Illinois American Water’s Operations Superintendent, said “There is nothing more important than ensuring our emp..

Leadership Change Made at Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch has named Joe Lauria Vice President and Director of Planning and Growth for the Americas in the company’s water business. In this new role, Lauria will help clients identify and implement sustainable solutions to evolving water challenges. Based in Irvine, California, his primary focu..

CPS Energy Sends Crews to Florida to Help With Irma Power Restoration Efforts

CPS Energy today announced it is sending crews to assist Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) with power restoration efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma. “Our response exemplifies our commitment to people and now extends to restoring a community in need,” said Paula Gold-Williams, CPS Energy Pre..

FirstEnergy Sending More Crews to Help Restore Power in Florida

As the damage continues to be assessed following Hurricane Irma, FirstEnergy Corp. today announced its utilities will send additional linemen and support personnel to help utilities in Florida with restoration efforts following large-scale power outages. The crews are scheduled to leave for Florida..

Water Technology Program Now Accepting Applications

Pipeline H2O announced it is now accepting applications for the 2018 class. Supported by a coalition of regional cities, utilities, universities, and startup organizations, Pipeline H2O is looking for companies working on water technologies that solve various aspects of the world’s water issues such..