Underground Infrastructure
Aging water infrastructure causes major water losses in Texas cities
Texas’ largest cities lost around 88 billion gallons of water last year due to old water infrastructure and extreme heat, resulting in significant financial losses and increased pressure on the state's water supply.
Xcel Energy updates $1.9 billion wildfire mitigation plan with undergrounding measures
Xcel Energy is making physical investments to reduce the risk of utility-caused wildfires. These measures include targeted undergrounding of power lines, line rebuilds, and non-expulsion upgrades in Tier 2 and Tier 3 risk areas.
Bluebonnet Fiber, USDA partner to expand underground broadband infrastructure in South Texas
Bluebonnet Fiber has announced a new partnership with USDA to complete pre-construction efforts for the installation of underground fiber optic cables to expand broadband access in Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, La Salle, and Zavala counties.
Rehab Technology selection guide
This comprehensive listing provides an invaluable resource in researching availability and specifications of key rehabilitation equipment/materials for the underground infrastructure industry.
Drilling under the LSU campus
A groundbreaking project at LSU utilizes horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology to install two 1,600-foot HDPE pipes, modernizing the campus's chilled water supply and return systems while minimizing surface disruption.
Tennessee awards $17 million for infrastructure, including water and sewer upgrades
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced $17 million in grants for infrastructure improvements, including water and sewer upgrades.
Editor’s log: Let’s stay real
You don’t see much original, in-depth journalism these days. That goes for business-to-business journalism in the underground infrastructure markets, but also for virtually every type of media across business and consumer markets.
Consumers Energy burying power lines near Standish, Mich.
Consumers Energy crews have begun the second week of a project to bury two miles of power lines near Standish, aiming to improve the region’s electric grid by protecting lines from falling trees and severe weather.
Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
Given Houston's vulnerability to hurricanes, relocating power lines underground could theoretically reduce the risk of prolonged outages. However, this concept faces significant obstacles.
Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
Berkeley city officials are pressing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to include their city in a plan to underground 10,000 miles of power lines in regions with the highest fire danger, The Berkeley Scanner reported.
Purdue University students attend 2024 Underground Infrastructure Conference in partnership with BAMI-I
A student delegation organized by Dr. Tom Iseley and Wei Liao from the Purdue/BAMI-I Underground Infrastructure team consisted of eleven Purdue University students representing the UCA (Underground Construction Association) and NASTT (North American Society for Trenchless Technology) chapters at the conference.
Google to invest $1 billion in Hawaiʻi's subsea internet infrastructure with new fiber-optic cables
Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative, and Benji Robinson, Asia Pacific director for Google, unveiled plans for the construction of a $1 billion project to create new fiber-optic internet subsea cables.
Core & Main to acquire EGW Utilities, enhancing underground utility offerings
Core & Main Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EGW Utilities Inc., a distributor of quality products and services to underground utility contractors and municipalities, based in Texas.
Enbridge selects contractors Barnard, CBNA for Great Lakes Tunnel construction
(UI) — Enbridge selects Barnard Construction Company Inc. and Civil and Building North America Inc. to construct the Great Lakes Tunnel, safeguarding Line 5 pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Underground infrastructure overhaul planned for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, N.M.
A critical piece of underground infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is about to get a makeover.
$274 million investment to improve water quality across Pennsylvania
This investment, facilitated through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, will fund 30 projects focusing on drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source issues.
Harnessing advanced technologies for underground engineering success
Underground construction endeavors are intricate, demanding meticulous planning, execution and risk management. With billions of dollars invested and millions impacted annually, the stakes are monumental.
Insights and trends: Latest developments in utility and communications construction
The beginning of 2024 is shaping up to be just as dynamic as we had expected going into the year. The election stage is set for November, the Federal Reserve is trying to thread the needle between fighting inflation and making the “soft landing,” and most distressing, we all witnessed a terrible tragedy in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Editor’s Log: And the smiles never stopped
In late March, UI wrapped another successful Underground Infrastructure Conference. Per usual, a wealth of information and market intelligence was gathered from remarkable speakers and experts in a variety of fields including sewer installation and rehabilitation, fiber optics, power, horizontal directional drilling, and safety.
Inside infrastructure: Safety debate continues to address new, controversial subjects
Every four or five years, multiple committees in Congress undertake the responsibility of reauthorizing the nation’s pipeline safety program and the federal agency that oversees it.
Enstor eyes FERC nod to double underground gas storage capacity at Mississippi Hub
Enstor Gas LLC has submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for an expansion of its underground natural gas storage facility located in Simpson County, Mississippi.
Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe secures funding for underground power line project
FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program has allocated $872,894 to support the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's underground power line conversion initiative.
Fastwyre Broadband invests $65 million to upgrade fiber optic network in Eastern Nebraska
Fastwyre Broadband is making significant investments to upgrade its fiber-optic network in Eastern Nebraska, promising faster internet speeds and enhanced connectivity for underserved communities in the region.
Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
Surveys and studies reveal that professional excavators/contractors are highly aware of Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) 811 initiative that requires they (as well as landscapers and homeowners) contact their state’s OneCall Center so underground utility lines are identified and marked before breaking ground.
Western sanctions impacting Russian underground infrastructure
The Russian sector of underground infrastructure construction is potentially in a serious crisis. The ever deepening shortage of funding and the lack of technologies are posing a threat for implementation of many investment projects and planned modernization of existing infrastructure.
Colorado Springs Utilities undertakes underground power line shift post-2021 windstorm
In Colorado Springs, efforts are underway by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to relocate power lines underground after identifying susceptibility during a windstorm in 2021.
California regulators greenlight program to accelerate electric infrastructure undergrounding
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has introduced a new initiative aimed at accelerating the undergrounding of electric distribution infrastructure across the state. This program, mandated by Senate Bill (SB) 884, targets increased system resilience and climate adaptation.
Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
Elon Musk's Boring Company incurred fines exceeding $112,000 due to safety breaches flagged by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the construction of the Vegas Loop underground tunnel last year.
Consumers Energy to bury electric lines in six Michigan counties
Consumers Energy has announced the approval of a targeted undergrounding pilot program by the Michigan Public Service Commission. With a $3.7 million investment, the company plans to bury 10 miles of overhead power lines within the next year.
I&M commences reconstruction of underground power line in Muncie, Ind.
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) representatives plan to start construction next week to rebuild an aging underground power line along Tillotson Avenue in Muncie.
- NTSB publishes preliminary report on fatal gas pipeline explosion in Lexington, Mo.
- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- Ripple Fiber breaks ground on $140 million project, expanding into central Mass.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Body retrieved day after fatal trench collapse at Bakersfield, Calif., job site
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Maryland lawmakers push to curb BGE pipeline spending, citing safety and cost concerns
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints