As the power industry’s needs rapidly evolve, utilities and other energy asset owners are confronting new and persisting challenges — everything from determining how to invest in assets to addressing changing customer demands and weather extremes — while still delivering safe, reliable and cost-effective service.
To better serve these growing client needs, Black & Veatch announces today that it has expanded its power services portfolio to provide assistance across four key areas: improving assets’ long-term performance with intelligence based asset monitoring, operations and maintenance services; proactive planning with asset hardening and storm readiness; disaster response services; and supplementing workforce needs.
“While Black & Veatch has long offered multiple solutions and services targeted towards new assets, we have also offered our deep engineering knowledge to help clients optimize and leverage the life cycle of their operating assets,” said Mario Azar, president of Black & Veatch’s Global Power Business. “Expanding these offerings and deploying more of our EPC knowledge helps address clients’ growing needs for predictable and reliable asset operations. In addition, our top-tier experts in transmission and distribution are the ideal response to rapid resource deployment needs during disasters and emergencies.”
According to Black & Veatch’s 2020 Strategic Directions: Electric Report, which includes survey data from more than 600 power sector stakeholders, aging infrastructure, an aging workforce and system upgrades and modernization rank as the industry’s top concerns. To address this, the new offerings will focus on the following services:
- As assets that generate and distribute power approach their end of life, Black & Veatch provides clients with assistance across key areas of their operations, including planning and offering remaining life assessments.
- The need for expertise in asset management, including both operations and maintenance and monitoring and maintenance services remains a strong need across the industry, particularly when it comes to providing business intelligence for asset owners.
- Black & Veatch offers proactive planning to help ensure reliability, resilience and recovery in the face of extreme weather events through its storm readiness and response service offering.
- As the industry deals with continued demand for an experienced workforce and a growing need for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, Black & Veatch provides resources to help supplement their workforce through staff augmentation.
Industry veteran Scott DeGeeter, Black & Veatch’s new vice president of power operating assets services, will lead these new offerings. His background includes more than 30 years in the power business, including nearly three decades with utilities including Portland General Electric, Enmax Corporation and Constellation Energy. Prior to joining Black & Veatch, he spent the past four years with IHI Power Services Corporation.
“With Scott’s prior experience on the ‘front line’ with a diverse set of utility companies, he brings in-depth knowledge of the challenges our clients face in operating assets efficiently and effectively in today’s dynamic, transformative power industry,” said Azar.
