Telecom/Electric
Mexico modernizing domestic transmission, distribution network prior to World Cup
Mexico is working on the modernization of its power transmission and distribution network with the goal of guaranteeing electricity supply to 50 million users across the country and avoid blackouts during the soccer World Cup 2026 this summer.
Centuri lands $300 million in new gas, electric infrastructure work
Centuri has secured more than $300 million in new utility and energy infrastructure project awards across the U.S. and Canada, including gas distribution upgrades, transmission work and electrical infrastructure projects.
Mount Pleasant, S.C., underground power line plans face delays despite funding
Mount Pleasant, S.C., has millions set aside to move power lines underground, but high costs, design challenges and community factors are slowing progress.
House passes broadband permitting bills to accelerate infrastructure deployment
The Plastics Pipe Institute is backing newly passed House broadband permitting bills aimed at reducing delays and accelerating infrastructure deployment as federal funding ramps up.
Granite lands $495 million Texas project with 27 miles of fiber, culverts, crossings
Granite secures a $495 million Texas infrastructure project featuring 27 miles of fiber installation, culvert crossings and underground utility work near Laredo.
Maryland lawmakers push to expand state oversight of underground power lines
Maryland lawmakers are pushing legislation to require Public Service Commission review of underground transmission lines following concerns over a $500 million Baltimore Gas & Electric project.
LA recovery reports call for $650 million power line burial, major utility upgrades in Pacific Palisades
Los Angeles recovery reports recommend $650 million in power line burial and major water system upgrades in Pacific Palisades after wildfire damage exposed evacuation and infrastructure weaknesses.
Meta to spend up to $6 billion on U.S.-made fiber for data center buildout
Meta has signed a deal worth up to $6 billion with Corning to supply fiber optic cable for U.S. data centers, expanding domestic manufacturing and supporting job growth in North Carolina.
Altadena residents rebuilding after fire face new costs from undergrounding plan
Altadena residents say SoCal Edison’s wildfire mitigation plan to bury power lines is leaving homeowners with unexpected bills of up to $40,000, sparking backlash as rebuilding continues after the Eaton Fire.
Riverside, Calif., power reliability project advances with new underground transmission line
Riverside is advancing a major power reliability project that includes new underground transmission lines and substation upgrades to add a second connection to California’s electric grid.
PUC cracks down on One Call violations tied to underground utilities
Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission issued more than $232,000 in penalties and education requirements tied to underground utility damage violations reviewed during its December enforcement meeting.
AUI scales underground fiber builds with repeatable HDD workflow
Always Underground Inc. is using a repeatable HDD-driven workflow to deliver large-scale underground fiber networks across multiple FiberCity markets, keeping crews productive and projects on schedule.
California city completes major Foothills utility undergrounding project
Palo Alto Utilities is completing a $11 million project to underground electric and fiber lines in the Foothills, cutting wildfire risk, improving reliability, and reducing the need for power shutoffs in high fire threat areas.
Isla Mujeres begins underground power conversion along Rueda Medina Avenue
Crews in Isla Mujeres have begun replacing overhead power lines with an underground system along Rueda Medina Avenue, part of a modernization effort to improve storm resilience and restore the island’s iconic streetscape.
Pasadena, Calif., upgrades 30 underground electrical vaults to boost grid reliability
Pasadena Water and Power is upgrading 30 underground electrical vaults across 4.5 miles of city streets to strengthen grid reliability and support its goal of achieving 100% carbon-free energy by 2030.
Utility & communications construction update
Daniel Shumate, Managing Director, FMI Capital Advisors Inc. Across the underground utility infrastructure segment, companies are performing quite well in the power, gas distribution and water and wastewater construction segments. Strong investment by investor-owned utilities, the federal governm..
PG&E completes 1,000 miles of undergrounding in wildfire-prone Calif. regions
PG&E has completed 1,000 miles of underground powerlines in high fire–risk areas of California, part of a broader system-hardening effort to cut wildfire risk. The utility aims to reach 1,600 miles of underground lines by 2026 while lowering costs through more efficient construction methods.
Dublin, Ohio moves South High Street utilities underground in major upgrade
Dublin, Ohio is relocating overhead power and telecom lines underground along South High Street as part of a multi-year utility burial project. Phase 2 is underway and expected to finish in spring 2026.
Boulder, Colo., moves utilities underground at Chautauqua to cut wildfire risk
Boulder is undergrounding utilities at Chautauqua, relocating power lines and fiber while upgrading water systems to cut wildfire risk and improve reliability.
Avangrid unveils $18.5 billion plan to strengthen U.S. grid and gas infrastructure by 2028
Avangrid will invest $18.5 billion in U.S. grid and gas infrastructure by 2028, focusing on modernizing aging systems in New York and New England. The plan aims to boost resiliency, expand capacity for data centers and industry, and better protect utilities from storm impacts while supporting job growth and local economic development.
Transmission shortfalls leave India’s renewables underutilized, IEEFA warns
India’s renewable energy boom is stalling as transmission projects fall behind. An IEEFA and JMK Research report warns more than 50 GW remain stranded due to grid delays, underutilized corridors, and slow expansion.
New York moves forward with $636 million broadband plan to close digital divide
New York is investing $636 million to expand broadband statewide, connecting 54,000 unserved homes and businesses with fiber, wireless, and satellite under the ConnectALL program.
Grain Belt Express awards $1.7 billion contracts for U.S.’s largest transmission line
Grain Belt Express has awarded $1.7 billion in contracts to Quanta and Kiewit for the nation’s largest transmission project—an 800-mile HVDC line spanning four states. Construction is set to begin in 2026, creating thousands of jobs and boosting U.S. grid reliability.
Black Hills, NorthWestern merge to form $15.4 billion multi-state electric, gas utility
Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy will merge in a $15.4 billion all-stock deal, creating a regulated utility serving 2.1 million customers across eight states with expanded electric and natural gas infrastructure.
Utility & communications construction update
Daniel Shumate, Managing Director, FMI Capital Advisors Inc. If you happened to be Rip Van Winkle and fell asleep at the beginning of 2025 and awoke in July, you would have no idea of the volatility that the public markets experienced and the global confl..
Pasadena, Calif. approves $44 million for undergrounding overhaul
Pasadena city council has approved a $43.95 million contract with Anixter, Inc., allowing Pasadena Water and Power to advance a critical infrastructure project to replace more than 200,000 ft of underground transmission cables, Pasadena Now reported.
Fiber optic installed to improve air traffic communication in Northeast U.S., DOT announces
According to CNN, a fiber optic cable has been installed between Philadelphia and New York in an effort to improve air traffic control issues in the busy region. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced the update at a press conference on Wednesday. Telecommunications at the facility that handles flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport have been strained in part due to aging air traffic control infrastructure.
CenterPoint completes 400 miles of undergrounding ahead of 2025 hurricane season
As part of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), CenterPoint Energy announced that it has installed 400 miles of underground power lines over the past eight months, completing 100% of its strategic undergrounding goal ahead of schedule and before the start of the 2025 hurricane season.
California fast-tracks underground utility rebuild after Los Angeles fires
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to accelerate the rebuilding of critical underground utility systems in fire-damaged areas of Los Angeles County, including Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades.
Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
The innovation, known as a "peristaltic conduit," mimics the segmented movement of earthworms to propel itself through the soil with minimal disruption to existing infrastructure.
- Fatal trench collapse in Mass. leads to $4.6 million OSHA penalty, dozens of violations
- OSHA investigates fatal trench collapse at Conroe construction site
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Texas811 launches real-time excavation detection to prevent utility strikes
- Fiber drilling strike triggers major sewer failure, lawsuits in Florida
- Fatal trench collapse in Mass. leads to $4.6 million OSHA penalty, dozens of violations
- Texas811 launches real-time excavation detection to prevent utility strikes
- Race Communications breaks ground on Bakersfield fiber network
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Inside Infrastructure: Utility locators warn of systemic failures in damage prevention process