Electric
CommScope and Fluke Networks Join Forces to Ensure Optimum Fiber Optic Performance
CommScope today announced its exclusive SYSTIMAX® link loss calculator will now be incorporated in Fluke Networks’ CertiFiber®Pro Optical Loss Test Set, which is part of the company’s Versiv™ Cabling Certification System, and LinkWare™ Live cloud service. The SYSTIMAX calculator is a tool that acc..
Even Pipelines Are Happy When PICA Is On The Job
Pipeline Inspection and Condition Analysis (PICA) Corporation is currently performing an inspection of 4 miles of 66-inch cement and steel cylinder lined PCCP pipe in southern California. To test the resolution of PICA’s brand new In-Line Inspection Tool, the customer embedded some small button magn..
Xylem Acquires Pure Technologies
Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Pure Technologies Ltd. for CAD$9.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of USD$397 million. Pure Technologies provides unique diagnostic..
Xcel Energy Crews Headed to Puerto Rico
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A crew of utility workers from the Upper Midwest is heading to Puerto Rico to help with the ongoing power restoration efforts following Hurricane Maria. Twenty-five Xcel Energy workers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are travelling to Puerto Rico Monday...
Virginia Governor Voices "Significant Concerns" on Electric Rate Bills
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday he has “significant concerns” about utility-backed legislation to allow electric monopolies to continue charging rates that currently produce excessive yearly profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. Northam said he wants state regul..
PPL Crews Head to Puerto Rico on Power Restoration Mission
PPL Electric Utilities employees packed their hard hats and work boots and boarded a flight to Puerto Rico Thursday, the first leg of their month-long journey to help restore power on the hurricane-battered island. The line workers and support personnel from throughout the PPL service territory..
Utilities Work to Repair Sewer, Water Pipes in California Town Rocked by Mudslides
MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — Emotional residents are trickling back to the California coastal town that was devastated two weeks ago by mudslides that killed at least 21 people and destroyed more than a hundred homes. Santa Barbara County officials finally lifted evacuation orders this week for about 1..
Power Restored to 240,000 Customers in Puerto Rico
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the state’s utilities have restored power to nearly 240,000 customers in the San Juan, Puerto Rico metro area, roughly 80 percent of the region’s total customer base. Since November 2017, more than 450 New York utility personnel have been working t..
Virginia Lawmakers Propose Major Electric Rate Regulation Overhaul
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — New utility-backed legislation in Virginia would mean lower monthly bills in the short term but would still allow electric monopolies to charge rates that currently produce excessive yearly profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a..
XKL's eVolocity Platform Provides Protection and Efficiency Gains to Subsea Cable Operators
XKL LLC, a leading provider of optical networking solutions, has introduced a subsea cabling solution that facilitates an optical protection scheme with protected LAN PHY links, DWDM links, or both, all in a single platform. Subsea cable providers can use the innovative eVolocity platform to max..
Philadelphia Sinkhole Prompts Evacuation of Homes
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say a large sinkhole in Philadelphia has prompted evacuation of some homes, but no injuries have been reported. The Philadelphia fire department says crews dispatched to the neighborhood northeast of the city center Friday reported that the sinkhole measured 30 feet ..
US Withholds Hurricane Emergency Loan Sought by Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A billion-dollar emergency loan approved by Congress to help Puerto Rico deal with the effects of Hurricane Maria has been temporarily withheld by federal officials who say the U.S. territory is not facing a cash shortage like it has repeatedly warned about in recent mon..
SippTech and SAK Construction Enter Into Exclusive National Installer Agreement
SIPP Technologies LLC (SippTech) today announced it has reached an agreement with SAK Construction LLC (SAK) for exclusive installation rights of its SippSteel™ robotic lining technology. Pursuant to the agreement, SAK is now the sole national installation contractor for SippTech’s multidimensional,..
Global Water Resources Joins WaterStart
Global Water Resources, Inc., a pure-play water resource management company based in Phoenix, Arizona, has joined WaterStart, a cluster of global leaders in the implementation of water technologies. Based in the Las Vegas campus of the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, WaterStart brings together..
Aclara And Suez Join Forces to Provide Smart Infrastructure Solutions to U.S. Cities
Aclara and SUEZ North America today announced an exclusive strategic partnership to deliver advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart infrastructure solutions (SIS) that will enable SUEZ to better serve municipalities across the United States. The Advanced Solutions division of SUEZ North Am..
FERC Approves Avista, Hydro One Merger
Hydro One Limited and Avista Corporation have received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on the companies’ merger application filed on Sept. 14, 2017. “This marks another important milestone in bringing together Hydro One and Avista,” said Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO..
Pipeline H2O Announces 2018 Class
Pipeline H2O, the award-winning water technology commercialization program managed by The Hamilton Mill, has announced its 2018 class, which includes the following companies: Cerahelix – ceramic pico filtration products used for high purity filtration. Drop Water – an innovative way to make and ..
Florida Power & Light Deploys Crews to Puerto Rico to Help Speed up Power Restoration Efforts
On Jan. 8, 2018, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) deployed 140 additional lineworkers and support staff to Puerto Rico to help restore power to areas impacted by Hurricane Maria’s landfall. Hundreds of thousands of people remain without electric service nearly four months after the destructiv..
More New York Utility Workers Sent to Help Restore Power in Puerto Rico
On Jan. 8, 2018, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the deployment of 46 National Grid workers to help restore power to Puerto Rico’s severely damaged power grid from Hurricane Maria in September. “New Yorkers help their neighbors in their time of need and I could not be prouder of the way thi..
Trenchless Technology Center Awarded $500K Sprayed in Place Pipe Technology Analysis Contract
SippTech LLC has finalized a contract with Louisiana Tech’s Trenchless Technology Center for their continued partnership and product analysis of the advancement of Spray in Place Pipe Technology, (SIPP). The awarded contract specifically involves testing of SippTech’s robotic systems and installatio..
Arizona Utility Sending Crews to Puerto Rico
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s largest electric utility is sending crews to help restore power to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Arizona Public Service Co. says 50 power line workers and support staff are heading to the U.S. territory in the Caribbean early this month. The company has already sent heavy ..
Unique Undergrounding Program Reduces Outages, Maximizes Response Time
In late August, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and other areas in Southeast Texas, leaving more than 750,000 customers without electric power. Immediately after Harvey, Hurricane Irma struck Florida, leaving much of the state and more than 6 million customers in the dark. Discussions about con..
Wyoming Utility Energizes Buried Lines Connecting Town
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (AP) — A utility says electricity is now running through transmission lines that were buried after a storm cut power to a western Wyoming town earlier this year. Jackson Hole News and Guide reports Lower Valley Energy last week energized the buried power lines connecting Te..
Three Months After Hurricane Maria, Barely Half of Puerto Rico Has Power
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico authorities said Friday that nearly half of power customers in the U.S. territory still lack electricity more than three months after Hurricane Maria, sparking outrage among islanders who accuse the government of mismanaging its response to the Category 4 sto..
Bechtel Honored for Pipeline Integrity Management Tool
Bechtel has been awarded the prestigious 2018 Digital Edge 50 Award in recognition of its new Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM) tool. With support from Bechtel’s Future Fund, an internal incubator which finances development of disruptive technologies, innovators from the company’s pipeline busines..
Fiber Broadband Association Releases White Paper on Fiber and 5G
The Fiber Broadband Association has released a new white paper, “The Road to 5G is Paved with Fiber,” on the necessity of fiber broadband for 5G networks. The paper explains how more wireline fiber—and a substantial amount of it—will be needed to support the next generation of our wireless networks...
SoCalGas Starts Work on Innovative Fiber-Optic Installation to Monitor Pipelines in Real-Time
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it has commenced construction on a first-of-its kind, fiber optic cable installation that will allow the company to monitor the condition of its high-pressure transmission pipelines in real-time. The fiber optic technology is being installed alo..
CPS Energy Wins 50-Year Natural Gas, Electric Distribution System Contract at Joint Air Force Base
CPS Energy has been awarded a $248 million, 50 year contract by the Defense Logistics Agency for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the natural gas and electric distribution system at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA). The company was awarded the contract through a competitive bidding proce..
California Wildfires Prompt Talks on Tougher Utility Rules
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California utilities may face tougher safety rules for power lines, phone lines and utility poles in parts of the state most prone to wildfires. Under the proposed rules being considered Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission, tree branches would have to be kept..
New York Announces Plan to Transform Puerto Rico's Electric Power Grid
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló announced a plan to rebuild and transform Puerto Rico’s electric power system, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria in September. The envisioned system will be more resilient, efficient, advanced, and less dependent..
- 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.
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds