Telecom/Electric
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.
JCP&L begins work to install 2,000 ft of underground electrical lines in northern N.J.
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has begun construction on a year-long project to upgrade overhead and install new underground electric service in portions of Sussex County. The $5.1 million project is expected to be completed in November.
HYLAN launches new gas & pipeline division to transform infrastructure solutions
HYLAN, a market-leading provider of full-service turnkey communications solutions, electrical infrastructure design, and utility construction services, is expanding its capabilities with the launch of its new Pipeline Division.
Eversource breaks ground on nation’s largest underground electrical substation in Cambridge, Mass.
Eversource has begun construction on the nation’s largest underground electrical substation in Cambridge, Mass. The 35,000-square-foot facility, located 105 feet below a new public green space, will help meet growing electricity demand and upgrade grid reliability.
National OnDemand expands in Texas with J. Tucker Construction acquisition
National OnDemand, a communication and utility infrastructure services provider, has acquired J. Tucker Construction, a Greenville, Texas-based company specializing in telecom and utility infrastructure.
Gigapower’s Arizona fiber rollout linked to infrastructure damage, CWA report says
In Mesa, Arizona, where Gigapower began fiber deployment in early 2023, subcontractors have reportedly caused over 40 underground utility hits, including damages to electric, gas, water, and telecommunications lines, totaling more than $135,000 in repairs.
PG&E buries over 800 miles of powerlines in high wildfire-risk areas
(UI) — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has undergrounded more than 800 miles of powerlines since launching its wildfire safety initiative in 2021.
UTGIS launches voltage testing service to prevent pipe corrosion in water and gas systems
Corrosion is frequently cited as a leading cause of damage to buried municipal water and gas systems. While there are several external conditions that can cause pipeline corrosion, electrical voltage is one of the leading culprits.
JCP&L moving power lines underground in portions of Somerset County, N.J.
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is relocating and upgrading power lines in portions of Bernardsville, Somerset County, to enhance electric service for customers. The $1.75 million project is expected to be completed later this month.
Tachus Fiber celebrates 50,000 customers on 3,000-mile network in North Houston
Tachus has grown rapidly over the last five years to offer lightning-fast and incredibly reliable broadband services to more than 160,000 homes and businesses in a vast arc across the North Houston communities of Atascocita, Conroe, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, Willis, and The Woodlands with current construction ongoing in the other Houston area communities.
Alectra Utilities invests $3.4 million to rehabilitate underground power infrastructure in Ontario
In 2024, Alectra plans to implement several key projects in Barrie, including $3.4 million to replace and rehabilitate underground cables through cable injection technology. This process will extend the life of existing underground cables, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help prevent outages.
IQ Fiber to deploy fiber optic network in Georgia on over $50 million investment
IQ Fiber's expansion into Savannah marks its third major market, following successful deployments in the Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida metro areas.
altafiber expands Northeast Ohio fiber optic network to 100,000 new addresses
The regional fiber broadband expansion plan in Summit, Portage, Geauga, and Cuyahoga Counties includes Tallmadge, Kent, Hudson, Twinsburg, Solon, Streetsboro, Stow, Aurora, and other surrounding communities. Plans are being finalized to expand to additional communities in Northeast Ohio as well.
Fermaca Networks finds critical sponsor for first phase of Mexican fiber optic route
The Phase 1 route will run fully underground, parallel to existing natural gas systems in some sections, and will follow highway routes in others, aiming at optimizing asset security and performance.
Arelion connects Mexico’s top digital hub to underground fiber network amid expansion
This network expansion reduces the risk of service outages and improves customer experiences, supporting content localization in Querétaro. This new route also offers end-to-end connectivity on Arelion's fiber backbone to markets such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, Dallas and Atlanta.
Duke Energy undergrounds 48% of Florida power lines with plans to expand as hurricane season peaks
Approximately 48% of Duke Energy Florida's primary power lines are underground and better protected from wind damage. The company will continue to install underground cable in areas that are identified as the most outage-prone areas.
NASA enlists Panhandle Power Solutions for $9.7 million transmission, distribution project at Kennedy Space Center
The awarded contract will involve the installation of 4.5 miles of both overhead (OH) and underground (UG) primary distribution lines, a crucial upgrade to the existing infrastructure at the preeminent launch complex for Government and commercial space access.
- Three Houston workers killed by hydrogen sulfide leak during sewer repair
- Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
- TxDOT advances massive drainage tunnel beneath I-35 in Austin
- Funding approved for $1.3 billion, 60-mile water reuse system in southern Utah
- Is the Boring Company tunneling blind in Nashville? Experts warn rock tests fall short