Power Plant Hit By Lightning
For the second time in two years, a power plant near Wausau, Wis., was knocked out of service by a lightning strike. Repairs to fix the damage to the plant's turbine and generator rotors are estimated to cost $34 million. Green Bay, Wis.-based Wisconsin Public Service Corp. is charged with the tab, including $8.3 million for repairs to the plant and $26 million in higher costs for power the utility must purchase to replace the energy generated by the plant.

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AGC Denies Endorsement for AIA A201 2007 Edition
Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America's (AGC) board of directors unanimously voted not to endorse the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) A201 (2007 edition) General Terms and Conditions document. This marks the first time in 50 years that an edition of the document did not merit AGC's endorsement. AGC conducted extensive member outreach for more than three years through its chapters, committees, and divisions, as well as an owner-advisory group before reaching an endorsement decision. In particular, AGC chapters throughout the United States urged AGC not to endorse the document. "Our members believe that the A201 does not reflect the collaboration that is necessary for a successful project," says AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr.

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Plant Construction Thrives in Rocky Mountain Region
Project spending and plant construction has been up for the last two years in the Rocky Mountain market region, says a report from Sugar Land, Texas-based Industrial Info Resources. The region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, has experienced a total investment value (TIV) of about $3.5 billion for industrial plants in 2006 and 2007. This figure is forecast to grow in the coming years as more companies move into the region. For example, Intel Corp. is involved in a $3-billion expansion at its Chandler, Ariz., semiconductor manufacturing complex. A preliminary look into 2008 shows an estimated $12 billion is proposed for plants scheduled to become operational that year, either as planned, engineered, or under construction.

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Electrical Work at Utah Zoo
Sealed proposals will be received at Utah's Hogle Zoo Guests Services Office, Salt Lake City for construction services, including electrical systems, and lighting, as well as mechanical and plumbing systems, clearing and grubbing, utilities, earthwork, asphaltic concrete paving, concrete paving, cast-in-place concrete, concrete pavers, retaining walls, railings, gates, a food service facility, a pre-engineered pavilion building, public restroom facilities, elevated decking, and custom fabricated elements. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at the zoo's Edzoocation Station at 11 a.m. MST on Nov. 19. Proposals are due at 2 p.m. MST on Dec. 4. For more information, contact Doug Lund at (801) 584-1709 or Jerry Good at (801) 584-1705.

HQCC Construction in Virginia
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is currently seeking construction services for its Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Headquarters Command Center (HQCC) at Fort Belvoir, Va. The project consists of an 89,522-square-foot multi-story reinforced concrete or structural steel building on concrete footings. Required functional areas include administrative space, executive suite, reception and access control center, security operations center, sensitive compartmentalized information facilities, special access areas, mailroom, technical library, computer operations, meeting rooms, training area, break rooms, and storage areas.

The project must meet the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating certification. Supporting facilities include gas and electric services, fire protection and alarms systems, telecommunications, standby generators for mission-critical functions, and street lighting. Anti-terrorism force protection measures will include building standoff distances, structural preventive collapse, laminated glass, lighting, bollards, control gates, and berms. The closing date for proposals is Jan. 8. For more information, download a pdf of the proposal forms on the U.S. Army of Corps Engineers' Web site.

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Web Exclusives
Business Brief
Cleveland-based Eaton Corp. recently announced a 120,000-square-foot expansion in Allegheny County, Pa. The building will be U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified and will feature Eaton's electrical products, many of which have helped the company's commercial and industrial customers achieve LEED status for their own facilities.

For more business briefs, visit EC&M's Web site.

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Eye on Safety
Nebraska High School Recovers From Electrical System Failure
Students at Hastings High School, Hastings, Neb., could return to classes as early as a week after the school's electrical system failed, which resulted in a fire and destroyed two of the school's three major electrical panels. According to Hastings Superintendent Craig Kautz, the damage at the school was far less extensive than initial estimates indicated. District officials were initially concerned that the damage had spread to a large part of the building's electrical system and that the school could be closed for as long as four weeks until a temporary fix could be found. Over the weekend, though, they learned that the system's switchgears had locked down during the failure, preventing the majority of the electrical system from being damaged.

Two 800A generators arrived at the school on Nov. 8 through Lincoln, Neb.-based Commonwealth Electric Co., which has been working on repairs since then. Kautz said power was restored to the school through the generators, and the district is testing their ability to handle the building's full load, especially its heating system. Kautz said he expects the school to be able to run its full programs with the generators. He acknowledged that generators are not as reliable as the school's usual power but said backups will be available in Doniphan in case of a failure.

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Shows and Events
Power-Gen International Power-Gen International is scheduled for Dec. 11-13 in New Orleans. Topics for this year's conference discussions include greenhouse gas regulation, advanced supercritical cycle and equipment considerations, gas turbine technologies, electrical I&C technologies, and renewable energy systems. For more information or to register, visit the Power-Gen International Web site.

EC&M Code Change Conferences
Where do you turn when you need accurate information on changes to the National Electrical Code? Acknowledged as the leaders in providing information on the NEC, EC&M magazine and EC&M Seminars have been the preferred sources of this information for more than 60 years. Seven Code change conferences have been scheduled in the fall of 2007. Host cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Seattle.

As an approved provider with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), through its Registered Continuing Education Provider Program (RCEPP), our 2008 Code change conferences will provide professional engineers Professional Development Hours (PDHs), a requirement for re-licensing in many states. The conferences are also approved by every state that has a continuing education requirement for contractors and electricians.

For additional information on the dates and locations of these events, download a pdf of the schedule from the EC&M Web site.