The Dept. of Energy has selected 32 pilot projects to receive $620 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aid to evaluate new technologies aimed at making the electricity network more efficient. The private sector is contributing more than $1 billion in matching funds for those projects. The “smart grid” awards, announced on Nov. 24, include $435.2 million for 16 regional grid projects and $184.8 million for 16 energy-storage projects. The largest grant is $88.8 million to Battelle Memorial Institute for a five-state project in the Pacific Northwest. DOE hopes the projects will lead to more extensive applications. In October,
The federal appeals court in New Orleans on Nov. 25 dismissed class-action lawsuits for Hurricane Katrina-related damages against 32 major dredging contractors. Two groups of plaintiffs sued companies that worked under federal contracts in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), claiming that work damaged protected wetlands and caused an amplification of the storm surge in the New Orleans region during the 2005 hurricane. The 5th U.S. Court of Appeal Circuit in Ackerson v. Bean Dredging LLC, upholding a federal district court’s ruling, applied the principal that public-works contractors duly carrying out projects authorized by Congress have immunity from lawsuits for
When major owners stepped up and starting requiring contractors to improve safety, they got results. At its national conference, the Construction Users Roundtable announced plans to help improve construction industry productivity, as well. + Image Source: EMCOR Group Inc. Safety and productivity go hand in hand. CURT plans to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to implement recommendations from the National Research Council study published last summer. A key initiative is establishing a “universal metric on measuring productivity,” said CURT President Egon Larsen, manager of construction engineering at Air Products & Chemicals, Allenton, Pa. CURT will help
Following a new Government Accountability Office report, lawmakers from both parties are criticizing Obama administration claims that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created or saved about 640,000 jobs. GAO’s study, released on Nov. 19, highlights inaccuracies in data submitted to federal agencies by recipients of ARRA funds. ARRA requires nonfederal recipients of stimulus aid to submit information about projects funded by the stimulus law, including the number of jobs created or preserved. GAO’s report cites examples of inaccurate data from funding recipients that call into question the accuracy of the administration’s estimates. A total of 3,978 reports showed
Senate floor debate on an $848- billion health-care measure is poised to start. The chamber on Nov. 21 voted 60-39 to take up the bill, the minimum margin needed. The measure builds on packages cleared by two committees and contains a public insurance option, which many moderate lawmakers oppose. Labor unions support the Senate bill, but several construction groups and most GOP legislators oppose it. The House passed its version on Nov. 7.
With the latest short-term surface transportation bill set to expire on Dec. 18, another extension is a certainty. But how long the next stopgap measure will be is by no means clear, making things difficult for state transportation agencies and recession-battered construction firms that pursue states’ federally funded highway contracts. Boxer asks for U.S. DOT help in resolving ‘standoff’ with House over new funding bill. Leaders of three Senate committees said on Nov. 17 they want a six-month extension. One of those senators, Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), has urged top U.S. Dept. of Transportation officials
Banks in New York state may have some new worries about lending to projects they think are having difficulties. A state appeals court has ordered Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp. to resume funding on the $330-million Destiny USA project, near Syracuse. The court said the developer is entitled to a preliminary injunction in its breach-of contract suit against the bank because the project is “unique.” The $155-million Citigroup loan is one of three funding sources for the first phase of the project, which involves construction of an 800,000-sq-ft shopping center/tourist destination and related facilities. The other funding sources are Destiny
A disconnect between marketing and business development can always make it challenging for AEC firms to get work. But the problem can be acute during difficult economic times, said marketing experts at a think tank in New York City on Nov. 13. The event was organized by the SMPS Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes research and education. Source: Robert Buday, “Integratin g marketing and busines development in profesional services Firms: Findings from a 2007 Blom Group survey,” research report , Blom Group LLC, Dec. 2007. Managing Demand Creation: Who is in charge ? “The most vexing question” is why marketing
With the economic slump battering tax receipts, state budgets remain in dire shape, and the pain may continue into fiscal year 2012, according to the National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers. In that environment, it’s no surprise that states around the country are slicing spending. One sector in which construction firms are feeling the impact is transportation. + Image Related Links: Stimulus Was Just a 'Tickle' For Transportation Firms NGA and NASBO on Nov. 12 released preliminary findings from their next biannual Fiscal Survey of the States, due out Dec. 3. Scott D. Pattison, executive director
Powerplants and large industrial facilities that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 annually must begin monitoring and reporting on their greenhouse-gas emissions yearly as a result of an Environmental Protection Agency rule that goes into effect on Dec. 30. The regulation will cover approximately 85% of the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities, EPA says. The first reports will be due in 2011. Andy Byers, associate vice president of Overland Park, Kan.-based Black & Veatch’s environmental management practice division, says the rule will create opportunities for some engineering firms. “Those facilities that are subject [to the
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