Dept. of Energy Holds Minority Business Summit in California

The Office of Energy Justice and Equity at the U.S. Dept. of Energy held its second annual Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Connect Summit April 17-18 at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center in Downey, Calif. Approximately 700 business leaders from 33 states attended the summit, which was held for the first time on the West Coast.

The event connects MBEs with the DOE and more than 40 other state and federal agencies, prime government contractors, financial institutions, private sector companies and nonprofit organizations for learning, business opportunities and over 1,900 unique business matchmaking sessions.

The first day of the summit featured a fireside chat with Maryam Brown, president of SoCalGas, and Daymond John, Shark Group CEO and CEO/founder of FUBU. The talk focused on how businesses can make the right pitch to grow and amplify their brand.

$1B Undersea Internet Cables To Connect Pacific Islands

Google has unveiled a $1-billion project to construct a system of new fiber-optic internet subsea cables connecting Hawaii with Japan, the continental U.S., the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. The new transpacific routes are expected to enhance internet reliability and connectivity for users in the Pacific Islands and around the world. The project was unveiled on April 30 by Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaii’s high-speed internet initiative, and Benji Robinson, director of Asia Pacific network planning and acquisition for Google.

“Just how we need multiple roads to get in and out of different areas, we need these pathways to ensure that everyone can get online, stay online and thrive,” Luke said.

In addition to Google’s commitment, Hawaii is on track to receive an investment of more than $320 million in federal funding over the next five years to build critical internet infrastructure across the state and increase digital literacy and equity.

Joint Effort Announced to Upgrade Alaska Highway

The Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities has announced a collaboration with Canada’s Yukon Territory to improve the northern portion of the Alaska Highway. The collaboration, announced earlier this year, outlines efforts to address key priorities along the Alaska Highway, including roadway maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and emergency preparedness.

“The Alaska Highway is more than just a roadway; it’s a lifeline for communities across the region,” said Nils Clarke, minister of highway and public works for the Yukon Territory.

The northern section of the Alaska Highway, known as Shakwak, stretches from Destruction Bay to the Alaska/Canada border and is the only highway link between Alaska and the lower 48 states. It is approximately 128 miles long.

The project received $31 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

UCSF Launches $4.3-Billion Hospital Campus Project

The $4.3-billion Hellen Diller Hospital will be located on UCSF’s Parnassus Heights campus.
Rendering Courtesy Herzog & de Meuron

University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health has launched the construction of the $4.3-billion Helen Diller Hospital. The 15-story, 880,000-sq-ft facility will be located on the university’s flagship campus at Parnassus Heights in San Francisco. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and HDR, the project team includes Mazzetti, Arup and the joint venture of Herrero Boldt Webcor.

When completed in 2030, the hospital will become a key component of UCSF’s 30-year plan to revolutionize its Parnassus Heights campus, fostering advancements in care, research and education. The hospital will increase UCSF Health’s capacity by 37% to 682 beds and add 22 new operating rooms, bringing the total to 40. Emergency care capacity will also see a significant increase, with 31 new beds resulting in a total of 70, a 71% expansion.

Calif. Tribe Building Solar Microgrid Project

The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians has begun constructing a large-scale solar and storage microgrid project at the Rolling Hills Casino and Resort in Tehama County, Calif. The $32-million microgrid project funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC) is a major step toward enhanced energy sovereignty, sustainability and self-reliance for the tribe.

“We are responsible for preserving our environment for future generations,” said Tribal Chairman Andrew “Dru” Alejandre. “This project will allow us to provide sustainable energy and most importantly increasing energy sovereignty.”

The project will provide 5 MW of solar generation and 15 MW hours of long-duration energy storage at the tribe’s casino and resort. It also will sustain tribal operations and relieve pressure on the grid during peak use times with new battery technology that can discharge power for 18 hours.

“We are grateful to partner with the CEC and host this grant for this renewable energy project,” said Alejandre. “Our people have always cared for the land as it has cared for us. We continue to understand our responsibilities as people and will continue to adapt to modern ways for many generations.”

San Francisco’s Concrete Safety Program Report

San Francisco’s Office of Resilience and Capital Planning revealed a list of stakeholder recommendations for the formation of the Concrete Building Safety Program (CBSP) in April.

The CBSP Stakeholder Engagement Report represents the first step in the creation of a new seismic safety program that aims to address a subset of concrete buildings known to be vulnerable in large earthquakes. The report is the result of a 12-month-long collaboration between community members, technical experts and city staff. The CBSP is one of several programs identified in the San Francisco Earthquake Safety Implementation Program (ESIP), San Francisco’s 30-year plan for improving seismic safety.

The CBSP is intended to assess and mitigate seismic risk for the city’s concrete building stock. As part of the initial steps to develop the CBSP, the Office of Resilience and Capital Planning convened a working group of 41 community members representing stakeholder groups such as residential and commercial building owners, tenants, businesses, labor, builders and developers.

Maui Fire Cleanup Efforts Move Forward

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently provided an update on the progress with the recovery effort from last years’ Maui wildfires. The temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School was dedicated  on March 25, by the Hawaii Department of Education providing 350 students and faculty have a safe, clean environment to learn and grow. the Federal Emergency Management Agency handled the $78.8 million construction of the school, sub-contracting Pono Aina Management, a native Hawaiian organization. Since debris removal within Lahaina began Jan. 17, USACE and its contractors have cleared 800 of the approximate 1,600 residential properties it has contracted to clear. This includes 300 residential lots that have been returned to the county of Maui allowing homeowners to begin the rebuilding process. In addition to the residential properties, USACE has also cleared twelve commercial lots of debris and more than 1,900 vehicles that have been removed from the impacted area and brought to Pioneer Mill for processing by county officials. The USACE housing team continues to make progress on the construction of the temporary housing site at Kilohana on Maui. The site includes 169 temporary properties that will house displaced Lahaina families and community members. Construction is expected to begin in May and will include constructing the water and sewer lines, electrical and roads.

Calif. Bus Charging Infrastructure Boost

National infrastructure-focused professional services firm STV is working with a pair of California transit agencies to develop battery-electric bus (BEB) charging infrastructure. The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) has signed a contract with STV to upgrade the  agency’s BEB charging infrastructure at the District’s South Base Maintenance and Bus Yard in San Carlos, Calif. The agency recently procured 37 BEBs to replace end-of-life diesel buses, prompting the urgent need for charging infrastructure at its South Base division. The project is a key element of SamTrans’ Innovative Clean Transit Plan, which guides the District’s transition to a 100 percent zero-emission fleet. STV secured this project as its first task order under its current 6-year general engineering on-call contract with SamTrans, awarded in June 2023. STV is also involved in a separate BEB initiative on the part of Omnitrans in San Bernardino, Calif. The firm will be the prime consultant for a the agency’s project  installing charging infrastructure upgrades at the agency’s East Valley Maintenance Facility and Kendall/Palm transit station.