Utility System Construction
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 17,700 utility system construction firms in the US are specialty contractors that develop buildings, structures, and distribution networks associated with water, sewer, petroleum, gas, power, and communication systems. Firms provide new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and repair services. Companies may specialize in a utility sector or offer services across multiple utilities.
Difficult Work Site Conditions
Utility construction projects can involve complex site conditions, including difficult to reach terrain and underground locations.
Seasonality and the Weather
Seasonal demand for utility system construction services creates uneven cash flow.
Industry size & Structure
The average utility construction firm employs 36 workers and generates about $9 million in annual revenue; the average water and sewer line construction firm employs 15 workers and generates $4 million annually; the average oil and gas pipeline construction firm employs 103 workers and generates about $27 million annually; and the average power and communication line construction firm employs 44 workers and generates about $12-13 million annually.
- The utility system construction industry consists of about 17,700 companies that employ 579,000 workers and generate about $158 billion annually.
- The oil and gas pipeline segment and the power and communications segment are concentrated at the top with the 50 largest firms representing 64% and 59% of the segment's total revenue, respectively. The water and sewer segment is more fragmented with the 50 largest firms representing just 20% of the segment's total revenue.
- The utility system construction industry includes several large players with national to near-national scope, regional firms, and many small independent firms that often serve as subcontractors to larger firms and operate within a limited geographical market.
- Large companies include MasTec, Dycom Industries, and Granite Construction. Some large firms have international operations.
Industry Forecast
Utility System Construction Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Nov 18, 2024 - DoE Announces Power Project Funding
- In October, the US Department of Energy (DoE) awarded $3.5 billion in funding to support expanded electricity transmission infrastructure and climate resistance grid projects. Nearly $2 billion will go for grid-shoring projects in 42 states and the District of Columbia, including six in Florida for damage caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton and 950 miles of new and higher-capacity transmission lines. The DoE is also providing $1.5 billion in funding to add 1,000 miles of new transmission infrastructure and 7,000 megawatts of new electricity capacity in Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
- The EPA issued a final rule in October 2024 requiring the identification and replacement of all US lead pipes within a decade. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $15 billion for lead pipe replacement, and in 2021, the Biden administration set aside $11.7 billion in funding through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) program. Another $2.6 billion in DWSRF funding was announced in October. About nine million homes receive drinking water from lead pipes. The American Water Works Association estimates the actual compliance costs for meeting the lead pipe removal timeline could exceed $900 billion.
- A surge in US electricity demand – driven by data center growth, cryptocurrency mining, building and vehicle electrification, and battery and fuel cell manufacturing could boost the costs utilities pay for electricity by 19% by 2028, according to a report released in September by consulting firm International Finance Corporation (IFC). Some parts of the country - including Texas, New England, and the Southeast – could see prices rise even more. The IFC report predicts electricity demand will increase by 9% by 2028 and 18% by 2033, or an annual average of about 2% per year compared to 2024 demand levels. To meet the rise in demand, the IFC says utilities will need to leverage new technologies, including AI-enabled efficiencies, along with a balanced mix of new supply.
- In the effort to reduce greenhouse emissions, a handful of US gas-fired power plant operators have taken steps to integrate hydrogen into their fuel mix, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Hydrogen combustion doesn’t create CO2 emissions. Five power plant operators have already performed hydrogen cofiring testing, and two others have planned cofiring upgrades to existing plants. Three power plant operators have new plants under construction that are expected to have hydrogen cofiring capability. Recently updated EPA power plant emissions rules and production tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act are prompting some operators to add hydrogen to their fuel mixes.
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