The US power industry is facing a mix of challenges that are fundamentally reshaping how projects get built. Equipment lead times now stretch years into the future, with only a handful of manufacturers able to produce the specialized components modern power generation requires. Start a greenfield power project today, and commercial operation likely won't happen until 2030.
This timeline points to more than manufacturing constraints; it signals a need to rethink how projects are developed, procured, and constructed. The traditional EPC execution model is giving way to more integrated models out of necessity.
The data center boom highlights this shift. These facilities need reliable, high-quality power delivered on accelerated timelines that traditional utility procurement models weren't built to support. The result is an industry-wide push to rethink how projects get delivered.
Alliance Partnerships: Moving Beyond Project-by-Project Procurement
One of the biggest changes we're seeing is the move toward alliance partnerships—long-term relationships between utilities and contractors that span entire fleets, rather than individual projects.
Our experience with a major utility alliance, which covers 30 to 40 power facilities across several states, shows how this model addresses multiple industry challenges at once. For utilities, alliances provide consistent access to experienced contractors and standardized execution. Contractors benefit from the visibility needed to invest in regional infrastructure and specialized capabilities.
This model has changed how we think about resource allocation and geography. Instead of ramping up and down for individual projects, we maintain continuity across multiple sites, improving efficiency and preserving institutional knowledge.
It's also led us to establish additional regional offices, relocate management teams, and build local craft hiring pipelines—investments that only make sense within a long-term partnership. The result is more responsive service and a deeper understanding of each facility's specific needs.
Solving Technical Complexity Through Industrial Crossover
Modern power projects are increasingly crossing traditional industry lines, requiring construction approaches that pull from multiple disciplines. Our most recent work on the RD Morrow Repower Project for Cooperative Energy is a strong example of this crossover in practice.
Converting a coal-fired plant to combined cycle technology meant installing one of only three Siemens 9000HL Gas Turbines in existence at the time of project execution. The HRSG erection included the installation of 10 modular tube bundles, each weighing up to 700,000 pounds. Integrating the new combined-cycle components with the existing steam turbine generator structure required shop fabrication and field installation of more than 30,000 linear feet of piping, comprising 4,516 field welds and 428 specialized P91 chrome welds, each requiring an 18-hour heat treatment cycle.
Integrating new components within existing facilities creates unique challenges. Our background in petrochemical and refining work has been critical in navigating that complexity. When we built an IGCC plant for Mississippi Power, it essentially required constructing a large chemical processing facility within a power generation environment.
That crossover expertise is becoming more valuable as power projects integrate with existing industrial sites. Our recent work includes combined cycle plants on chemical sites and cogeneration units within LNG facilities, where understanding both power generation and industrial operations is essential.
Geographic Strategy in a National Market
Today's power boom is spread across the country, driven by data centers, industrial growth, and grid modernization. That's pushed us to evolve from a Gulf South-focused contractor into one with true national reach.
Expanding into the Carolinas and the Midwest required more than winning work. It meant building a real presence. Supporting projects across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida required local infrastructure, management teams, and craft hiring networks.
Workforce Innovation in Constrained Markets
Power construction touches every craft, from earthwork and concrete to specialized electrical and instrumentation. In a tight labor market, our ability to draw upon our extensive construction workforce allows us to meet the needs of power producers who are struggling to find capable contractors and construction resources across the country.
Rather than hiring project by project, we've invested in standardized training programs that can flex across industries, with adjustments for specific site needs. Our merit shop model also gives us more flexibility in how we deploy labor.
Maintaining workforce continuity across multiple sites through our alliance model has also improved both skill development and retention. Workers build deeper expertise in power-specific work while benefiting from more consistent employment.
Commercial Model Evolution
Limited construction capacity is also changing how projects are structured commercially. Utilities are moving beyond the traditional Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) model toward more collaborative approaches that better share risk and accelerate delivery. Similar to the oil, gas, and chemicals industries, owners are now exploring "EP + C" execution models to meet growing demand.
Our alliance experience shows how long-term partnerships make it possible to invest jointly in capabilities and infrastructure. Instead of focusing only on bid price, utilities are placing more value on proven execution and technical expertise.
Technology Preparedness and Future Innovation
The pace of change in power technology is accelerating, and we're preparing for what's next—including Small Modular Reactors. We've begun the process of securing "N" and "NA" stamps for nuclear construction, knowing future projects will demand new capabilities.
Energy storage, grid modernization, and advanced controls are also reshaping construction requirements. Success increasingly depends on anticipating where the industry is going, not just responding to where it is today.
Our work supporting LNG expansions and data center projects is already offering insight into how power construction is evolving beyond traditional utility-scale generation.
Integration and Continuous Improvement
Today's challenges are pushing the industry toward more integrated project delivery. Understanding equipment interfaces, commissioning, and operational handover is becoming just as important as construction itself.
The most successful projects involve early collaboration between manufacturers, engineers, contractors, and utilities. That alignment leads to better planning, reduced risk, and stronger outcomes. Our ability to engage construction planning services during the engineering and procurement phase further strengthens project results.
We're also seeing the value of strategic partnerships with engineering and procurement firms, combining complementary specialties and strengths to deliver better results for clients.
The Path Forward: Strategic Investment and Partnership
Today's power construction environment rewards long-term thinking over short-term wins. Building the capabilities required for complex projects—technical expertise, geographic reach, workforce development, and quality systems—takes sustained investment.
Our 25 years in power construction, with over $2.2 billion in completed work, positions us well for what's ahead. But we're continuing to invest—in new capabilities, new regions, and strong partnerships—to help meet the country's growing power needs.
The industry's shift toward more collaborative, long-term relationships reflects a simple reality: success depends on working together. We're committed to being part of that solution.
