Friday — March 19, 2004

Power gets third contract for Iraq work

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By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

Power Engineers Inc., a leading U.S. provider of engineering services with offices in Boise and Hailey, has been awarded a new contract valued at up to $500 million to provide engineering for the Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Program, managed by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.

The CPA is the interim body governing the country until a new government is established. The contract is the third contract in a series U. S. government contracts awarded to the company in less than a year for infrastructure improvements abroad.

As coalition forces strive to return control of the country to the Iraqi people, the new contract is also intended to be a transitional program with incentives to contractors who train Iraqis to take over the projects.

Power Engineers is a subcontractor to Perini Corporation, a century old civil infrastructure contractor for all three contracts. The two previous contracts called CENTCOM I (U.S. Central Command I) and CENTCOM II were also with Perini as the prime contractor and were awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Boise-based Washington Group was also awarded a CPA contract this month bringing Idaho well into the reconstruction of Iraq.

So far, the work has taken Power Engineers employees to Iraq and Afghanistan. Engineers are completing CENTCOM I work designing power transmission towers, which were vandalized after President Bush declared an end to major combat operations in the country nearly one year ago.

"By selecting Perini and Power, the CPA is receiving a design/build team that already has invaluable experience in Iraq," said Bill Eisinger, a Power Engineers vice president and Manager of Transmission & Distribution Engineering. "Our engineers and field staff who have been working on projects from our previous contracts in Iraq understand the special conditions of this situation. We’re excited to help the Iraqi people develop their technical and management skills to be self-sufficient." Contractors are still awaiting marching orders for the CENTCOM II contract, which could take Power Engineers to any of the 25 CENTCOM Area of Responsibility countries.

The new CPA contract is also an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract for up to $500 million worth of work, to be performed over a base period of two years, with options for three additional years.

The CPA goal is to rebuild and improve Iraq’s infrastructure, while involving the Iraqi people and their governmental ministries to achieve self-sufficiency. The contract includes incentives to the contractors to transfer skills and capabilities to Iraqi workers and subcontractors.

Under its current contracts, Power has provided engineering for 360 kilometers of 400-kV transmission line, three power generation plants, and several electrical substations.

Power will provide engineering for electrical transmission, distribution, communications, and controls work to help build up Iraq’s power supply infrastructure throughout southern Iraq.

Power Engineers is a global consulting engineering firm specializing in energy, facilities, and communications projects. Founded in 1976, Power is an employee-owned company with offices throughout the United States and abroad.

Boise-based Washington Group was also awarded a CPA contract this month bringing Idaho well into the reconstruction of Iraq.

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