Public Utilities and Power Infrastructure Management
Defining the Next Generation of Power
Dependable Power and Utilities Infrastructure
The power grid is like a football team’s offensive line: It only gets attention when it fails, be it via costly errors or a lapse in protection that throws a region’s vital services to the turf. Resiliency and security are thus key for public utilities and power infrastructure producers upon whom the nation relies.
But much of what keeps electricity flowing through the 5.5 million miles of distribution lines in the U.S. is aging — and not gracefully. Many key components of the nation’s power infrastructure are well past their intended 50-year lifespan, and 70% of the transmission and distribution lines connected to them are fast approaching that milestone. Considering these lines are responsible for 92% of power outages already, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Generation, Transmission & Distribution, simply keeping the lights on becomes an increasingly tenuous task. High-profile climate incidents such as the winter 2021 Texas power crisis and rolling outages sparked by West Coast fires do further work against the power grid.
Watch: Gain Confidence in Managing Your Infrastructure Projects with e-Builder
As clean energy and other innovations rise to prominence, U.S. power operators face a reckoning: Change now or pay dearly for it later. Change itself also comes at a cost, in dollars and bandwidth, which presents a problem that the utilities infrastructure industry will soon be forced to address.
Preparing for Power and Utilities Infrastructure Projects Influx
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, now called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL), calls for a $73 billion investment in improvements to all facets of the power infrastructure, from laying down new lines to remediating problem areas such as defunct wells or Brownfield sites. This allocation of infrastructure funding will unblock the project backlog for many utilities. But it also will spur a level of activity that few have seen — and that fewer have the internal and technological resources to manage, given these capital improvement projects’ many components. There’s the need for effective utility and power infrastructure project management and prioritization, which will only grow in complexity as the projects themselves get larger and more ambitious. There’s the matter of tracking costs accurately and transparently. Finally, there’s accountability in reporting costs and progress to local and federal leaders as well as the general public. To meet these needs, utilities and power producers must have access to the necessary tools and platforms.
Everyone from engineers to project managers can expect a heightened level of scrutiny that comes with a substantial increase in federal funding for power and utilities construction infrastructure. You’ll need to provide:
- Proof of the efficiency and value of infrastructure projects
- Complete transparency into the stewardship of funds
- Proof of job creation, socioeconomic impact, and sustainability success
- Accountability for every project task, dollar, and outcome
Having the right systems and tools in place to accurately track costs, report on project progress, and prioritize and manage projects will be critical when all eyes are on city, county, and state leaders to follow through.
Smart Power and Utility Services by e-Builder Enterprise
e-Builder has more than 25 years of experience supporting and managing infrastructure capital improvement projects that affect local governments and utility companies. e-Builder can help power regulators and utilities confront the challenges that will come with this massive influx of new projects, including making sense of funding criteria.
More than 500 organizations worldwide have used e-Builder Enterprise to manage more than $1 trillion in capital projects. e-Builder Enterprise is a cloud-based solution for managing public construction and infrastructure projects. It automates information handoffs between designers, contractors, consultants, and owners through a best-in-class workflow engine that transforms manual and paper-based processes to digital. It also offers the industry’s most flexible project financial management solution, unifying construction costs with accounting.
More than 500 organizations worldwide have used e-Builder Enterprise to manage more than $1 trillion in capital projects.
The Definitive Guide to Digital Transformation for Owners of Capital Improvement Programs
Download our Definitive Guide to Digital Transformation for Owners of Capital Improvement Programs and learn why leveraging an advanced digital construction management solution like e-Builder Enterprise—which is designed for owners like you—will effectively aid in managing the funding, tracking and reporting of your infrastructure-related projects. Get your complimentary guide.
Additional Infrastructure Funding Resources:
- Trimble chart highlighting the Infrastructure Bill Spending by STATE
- Brookings’ federal infrastructure hub breaks down the funding by project type and agency
- The American Society of Civil Engineers has a resource to track open IIJA grants and more
- So does the Government Finance Officers Association with its Notice of Funding Opportunity tracker
Testimonials and Case Studies
e-Builder Enterprise helps you increase productivity, streamline processes, support more community collaboration, and deliver greater visibility and transparency. But don’t take our word for it — hear what some of our public-sector infrastructure clients have to say:
The City of Fort Smith
Supporting Public Projects for the City of Fort Smith
Learn how the City of Fort Smith Utility Department is implementing a compliance program estimated to include $480 million of sewer upgrades over 12 years with e-Builder's help. Click here to view.
“With e-Builder, project costs and schedules are always interrelated. We have accurate forecasts, thus avoiding costly surprises.”
—Michelle Dodroe, Deputy Director of Engineering and Engineering Technology for the City of Fort Smith Utility Department
Pennsylvania Department of General Services Embraces the Future
Like many local government public works agencies, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (PADGS) was feeling the pressure of balancing existing CIP requirements with the changing infrastructure landscape. With e-Builder Enterprise, PADGS modernized for efficiency and transparency, empowered its workforce, and is embracing the future through a comprehensive and integrated project management information system.
Design + Build + Operate
Making sense of the new infrastructure projects coming your way requires making sense of your budget, workflow and more. Often, this requires partnering with an experienced leader in the construction industry. We’d be honored to be that partner.
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