Many utilities hesitate to outsource the engineering and construction of their systems, worried the finished station won’t match their standards, will have scope gaps, or will pose a safety or operational risk for their O&M team. That’s where approaching engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) as a partnership instead of a contract comes into play. With a partnership mentality, both sides are focused on long-term alignment, learning and documenting standards, and building a finished project that looks and feels like something the utility would have built themselves.

Working closely with El Paso Electric’s (EPE) engineering, standards, construction, and O&M teams, Beta Engineering successfully designed and delivered the 115kV Verde project in EPE’s New Mexico service region. This 115kV station brought EPE another step closer to their goal of delivering more reliable, affordable energy to their customers. The finished project connected a 150-megawatt solar project to the EPE grid—enough power for 30,000+ homes.

In the video below, Beta Engineering Director of Project Management Logan Barton explains what true partnership looks like and the success that can result for utility teams that are struggling to find the experienced EPC help they need.

Over the course of the project, Beta learned EPE’s engineering standards and construction requirements, closing out the project with a lessons learned roundtable that resulted in actionable steps to improve their next project collaboration—the 115kV Wicked Switchyard project completed just a year later.