Utility Infrastructure
Report Highlights $300 Billion Municipal Water Infrastructure Opportunities
Pipe and hardware companies should benefit from heightening concerns about U.S. municipal water infrastructure and $300 billion of forecasted capital expenditures over the next decade, according to a new report from Bluefield Research, U.S. Municipal Pipe Markets: Trends, Opportunities and a Changin..
Study: U.S. Water Utilities to Invest $8.3 Billion in Smart Infrastructure
According to US Smart Water Infrastructure: Market Forecast (2017-2027), a new study published today by Northeast Group LLC, U.S. water utilities are projected to invest $8.3 billion in smart infrastructure over the next ten years. “Our survey results show that water infrastructure in the US is mod..
Illinois American Water’s Cairo District Earns National Safety Award for a Second Time
Illinois American Water’s Cairo District received the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Wendell R. LaDue Utility Safety Award for excellence in safety. The award recognizes distinguished safety programs by water utilities and requires excellent safety records for five consecutive years, as wel..
Utility Wins Sixth Straight J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Award
PPL Electric Utilities today announced J.D. Power has ranked the company highest for residential customer satisfaction in its class in the eastern United States for the sixth consecutive year. “PPL employees come to work each day with a mindset that puts customers first,” said Greg Dud..
Nokia to Provide Communications Network for California Utility
Nokia today announced it will provide an advanced communications network to the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) in Northern California to support its hydro-electric power generation and water distribution services in the area. PCWA is the primary water resource agency for Placer County, California..
NRG Energy Plans up to $4 Billion in Asset Sales
NEW YORK (AP) — NRG Energy, the money-losing Northeast electric utility, will attempt raise up to $4 billion through asset sales as it tries lower debt by $13 billion, cut costs and generate profit. The power company, based in Princeton, New Jersey, said Wednesday that the sale could include the en..
DTE Energy Names New State Government Affairs Director
DTE Energy has named Rodney Cole to the position of director, State Government Affairs, leading the company’s policy and advocacy efforts in Lansing, Mich. In his new role, Cole will lead DTE’s Lansing office and will continue strengthening relationships with Michigan’s public sector leaders to crea..
Lawmakers Announce Plan to Extend California Cap and Trade
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders released a plan Monday to extend through 2030 California’s cap-and-trade program, a key piece of the state’s quest to fight climate change by drastically reducing emissions from greenhouse gases. The deal updates how refineries, uti..
Jersey Central Power & Light Announces Changes to Leadership Team
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary, announced today that Mark A. Jones, has been named vice president of Operations and John Anderson has been named vice president of External Affairs. In his new position, Jones is responsible for the operation and maintenance of J..
PECO Celebrates National Lineworker Appreciation Day
In celebration of National Lineworker Appreciation Day, PECO is honoring more than 1,094 utility workers who operate and maintain electric and natural gas systems and facilities and respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, often in challenging conditions, and on weekends and holiday..
Pennsylvania American Water Unveils Interactive Map to Spotlight Pipeline Projects
Pennsylvania American Water has launched an interactive web-based map of its 2017 infrastructure upgrade projects, enabling customers to view details about water and wastewater pipe projects across the company’s service areas. “Often, customers do not see their water bills at work because we may no..
New Mexico Utility Ordered to Release Documents in Rate Case
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s largest electric utility has been told to publicly release documents that were sealed as it pursues approval from state regulators for a rate increase. Two hearing officers for the Public Regulation Commission ruled this week that the utility failed to show the in..
Westar, Great Plains Announce New Plans for $14B Merger
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy have announced a revamped plan to merge after Kansas regulators scuttled an earlier deal. The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2u9t3IX ) reports that the deal announced Monday morning would form a utility with a combined equity value of..
Judge Denies Water Crisis Legal Settlement
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal judge has declined to grant preliminary approval to a $151 million settlement stemming from a 2014 chemical spill that sparked a water crisis in West Virginia. Local news outlets report Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. said in an order Thursday that he wants changes t..
Berkshire Hathaway to Buy Oncor
NEW YORK (AP) — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is buying the Texas power transmitter Oncor for $9 billion, one of his biggest acquisitions. Last year, Berkshire completed its biggest acquisition in its history, a $32.36 billion deal for aviation parts maker Precision Castparts. Oncor se..
City Water Department Van Slides into Sinkhole in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (AP) — Officials say no one was injured when a city water department van slid into a sinkhole that opened up beneath it in Cleveland. The Cleveland Division of Water says the van fell through the ground on the city’s east side on Thursday afternoon. Officials say the water department e..
Peak Utility Services Group Acquires Kelly Cable
Peak Utility Services Group, a utility services provider serving natural gas, telecom, and electric utility markets in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West regions of the United States, has acquired Kelly Cable of New Mexico. As part of the transaction, Mike Ford, the President of Kelly Cab..
Connecticut Water Acquires the Avon Water Company
Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (CTWS) has completed the acquisition of The Avon Water Company (AWC). AWC serves approximately 4,800 water customers in the Connecticut communities of Avon, Farmington, and Simsbury. The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved the acquisition on Apr..
Vermont Utility Regulator Officially Changes Name
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont’s newly named Public Utility Commission says it’s going paperless. The commission, formerly known as the Public Service Board, which regulates utilities, starting using its new name on July 1. On Wednesday, it announced its “declaration of independence” from paper as..
West Virginia Water Agency Head to Retire After Ethics Probe
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The head of a West Virginia water agency will retire after an ethics investigation. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that a letter from Gov. Jim Justice’s office says West Virginia Water Development Authority Executive Director Chris Jarrett will step down and reti..
Water, Sewer Infrastructure Investment Drives Utility's Proposed Rate Increase
Missouri American Water has filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MOPSC) requesting a change in the rates for the company’s water and sewer customers, including an annual revenue increase of $73.9 million for water customers and $800,000 for sewer customers. The main dri..
CMS Energy and Consumers Energy Announce Leadership Change
CMS Energy and Consumers Energy have announced Jean-Francois (JF) Brossoit, currently senior vice president of transformation and shared services, will succeed Dan Malone, senior vice president of engineering, effective when Malone retires Nov. 1, 2017. Brossoit will assume the new role..
Louisville Gas and Electric Nearing Completion of 20-year Gas Main Replacement Project
Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) has announced it is completing the final steps in a gas main replacement project in Louisville, Kentucky that began more than two decades ago. As part of the project, LG&E upgraded 540 miles of cast iron, wrought iron and bare steel pipes with more durable..
Artesian Resources Acquires Cantwell Water Company
Artesian Resources Corporation’s principal subsidiary, Artesian Water Company, Inc., has acquired the water assets of the Cantwell Water Company of Odessa. The purchase leverages Artesian’s newly expanded franchise area in southern New Castle County and allows the 40 customers previously on the Cant..
American Water Makes Leadership Change
American Water today announced Loyd “Aldie” Warnock, currently senior vice president of External Affairs, Communications and Public Policy, will expand his role and also oversee the company’s Corporate Business Development department, effective Aug. 1, 2017. Warnock will replace Mark Strauss, who is..
$14 Million Pipeline Construction Contract Awarded
Crossfire, LLC has been awarded a $14 million contract from New Mexico Gas Company to reroute approximately six miles of natural gas pipeline in the Río Grande Gorge along State Road 68. The project consists of replacing 8-inch-diameter natural gas pipe with a larger 12-inch-diameter pipe to accomm..
New Series Highlights "Utility of the Future" Challenges
The Retail Energy Practice of global economic consultancy The Brattle Group is producing a series of briefs that provide an integrated view into potential utility responses to the challenges and trends associated with the “Utility of the Future” (UoF). “The business model that has worked for utilit..
Trial Delay Sought for Former Utility Regulator, 3 Others
PHOENIX (AP) — Trial for a former Arizona utility regulator accused of accepting payments from a water company owner in exchange for a boost in rates will likely be delayed. Federal prosecutors and attorneys for former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce and three others agreed to th..
Study: Customer Support of Energy Utilities Directly Related to Brand Trust
According to the 2017 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential Cogent Reports™ study by Market Strategies International, support of utility rates and attracting consumer use of alternative energy offerings requires brand trust among residential electric and natural gas utility consu..
Chicago Utilities Celebrate Grand Opening of New Training Center
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel yesterday joined Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas President and CEO Charles Matthews, Alderman Ricardo Muñoz (22nd), Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval and other community leaders in celebrating the grand opening of Peoples Energy Training Center, a new utilities tr..
- TxDOT advances massive drainage tunnel beneath I-35 in Austin
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- U.S. water reuse boom to fuel $47 billion in infrastructure spending through 2035
- $2.3 billion approved to construct 236-mile Texas-to-Gulf gas pipeline
- Major water pipe break in Puerto Rico hits over 165,000 customers
- Pennsylvania American Water launches interactive map to identify, replace lead water service lines
- Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
- Utah city launches historic $70 million tunnel project using box jacking under active rail line
- Tulsa residents warned after sewer lines damaged by boring work
- Fatal trench collapse halts sewer construction in Massachusetts; two workers hospitalized