Tranche-Scale Transmission Planning: Early Contractor Input Wins
Contractors who wait for the RFP are becoming a schedule risk on large transmission programs. A T&D World webinar summary, written by Tyler Reeves of Sterling Solutions, lays out five planning steps for tranche-scale work. Utilities built or upgraded fewer than 1,500 miles of transmission in 2024, and projections for 2035 call for tens of thousands of miles.
Two of the five steps matter most for field crews. Joe Ebersbach of New River Electrical said engaging contractors when engineering is 10% to 30% complete lets them influence siting, constructability, access and foundations. Oncor’s Alex Machoka said the utility assigned contractors before right-of-way acquisition on its first 765 kV construction, which begins next year. On access, Machoka warned that a fully acquired right-of-way is useless without a way to reach it. The piece argues access should be scoped as engineering, with field verification and temporary access easements identified during acquisition.
Reeves is Chief Commercial Officer at a site access mat manufacturer, so the access emphasis aligns with his business.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Early engagement, before the RFP: Ask for a seat when engineering is at 10% to 30%, before you price. Use it to lock crane selection, member weights and access assumptions, which the source says Oncor’s contractors weighed in on. This is how you hold a price and a schedule.
- Access before mobilization: Field verification is the fix for late access scoping, which the source says pushes bidders to price their own assumptions. Before committing crews, confirm in writing who owns temporary access easements, work pads and wet-weather plans. Our inference: the same applies to laydown yard commitments.
- Crew availability: Ebersbach said labor, equipment and teams are near 100% utilization, with demand outpacing supply over the next three to five years. Secure crew leadership early, and ask for rate structures that leave room for apprentices.
