American Electric Power (AEP) has selected Irby Construction’s parent company Quanta Services, Inc. to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions for the Wind Catcher Generation Tie Line. The anticipated contract value for this 765kV project makes it the largest project award in Quanta’s history.
Click here to read more in this article from prnewswire.com about the project.
An article authored by Jonathan Thompson of the High Country News provides detailed insight into the West’s push for one big electric grid, a powerful example of why it’s necessary, and some interesting history regarding how we got to the divided grid system operating today. Get the full story here.
Mose Buchele joined Morning Edition host Jennifer Stayton on Austin, Texas NPR station KUT 90.5 to discuss electricity demand growth in West Texas.
The discussion covers the relationship between demand and the oil business and features a few great sound bytes from The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Spokeswoman, Leslie Sopko.
Read the transcript or listen to the clip for a quick overview of West Texas growth and ERCOT’s plans to expand accordingly. Listen or read a transcript of the interview, here.
A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system is the renewable energy industry’s best bet for expediting the deployment of cheap, clean power for our everyday electricity needs. In an article recently published on www.greentechmedia.com, GE’s Patrick Plas makes a powerful case for HVDC systems to support wind and solar power.
HVDC can be more expensive to build, but is more cost-effective long term when compared to alternating current (AC) systems. HVDC isn’t new, but is rising in popularity for its ability to interconnect grids across borders, allow more power to be transferred over longer distances, and control intermittent power with the lowest loss of energy. The global HVDC market, which is currently valued at $6.2 billion, is expected to reach $14.36 billion by the end of 2026, according to a report by Future Market Insights.
Learn more and read the complete article at www.greentechmedia.com
The White House announced President Trump’s nomination of industry adviser and lawyer Kevin McIntyre to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Thursday, July 13.
The announcement was made while a number of the President’s other nominees await votes on the Senate floor to be confirmed. According to an article in the Washington Examiner, McIntyre has been in the running for a job on the commission for some time. Get the full story at Washingtonexaminer.com
The Mississippi Business Journal hosted a luncheon at the Old Capitol Inn on Thursday, June 22nd to recognize the winners and participants for the 2017 Best Places to Work in Mississippi competition. Irby Construction won second Best Place to Work in Mississippi in the mega-large category. To be eligible for this award, companies must be a for-profit or not-for-profit business, be a publicly or privately held business, maintain a facility in Mississippi, have at least 15 full-time employees in Mississippi, and be in good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Admissibility for this award was based on a number of employees within each participating company completing a survey. Southern Research conducted all of the research to determine which company ranked first, second and third in categories ranging from small to mega-large, based on the number of employees.
Competing against other mega-large companies throughout the state, Irby stood out. Irby defeated St. Dominic’s, Harrah’s and Jones Companies, while first place went to Viking Range. This competition served as an opportunity for Irby to learn about in-state companies of all sizes, as well as our employee satisfaction. It was an honor to participate in this competition, and Irby employees are excited to aim for first place next year!
