As the U.S. power industry evolves toward cleaner energy sources, the construction industry is following the trend by diversifying into new markets and, in some cases, getting out of traditional ones.
San Francisco-based Swinerton Builders started looking for opportunities in the solar EPC business after the 2008 recession, when its traditional construction business declined. What started as a business to build distributed solar generation projects at client-owned locations has become, starting in 2010, a business that builds large-scale solar projects for utilities—and the market continues to grow.
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“In January 2016, we reached our first gigawatt of solar construction. By January 2017, we will reach our second gigawatt,” says George Hershman, senior vice president and general manager at Swinerton Renewable Energy.
Swinerton is bullish on the solar market based on the passage of a long-term federal investment tax credit for renewable projects and the expectation that solar prices will continue to fall. Prices are expected to drop to $1 per watt in 2017 from approximately $1.20 per watt in 2016, two years earlier than expected.
“Ultimately, renewables are a low-cost form of energy generation and a path forward to a changing power grid. This is the traditional power market my kids will know,” Hershman said.
Babcock＆Wilcox Enterprises Inc.在美国看到了其传统的煤炭建设业务停止。业务和建筑高级副总裁18luck官网吉米·摩根（Jimmy Morgan）表示，在国际上有项目，但在美国没有项目。由于其燃油成本低，汽油发电是增长最快的市场。摩根说，尽管B＆W会多样化，但它不会建造燃气装置。但是，它将通过今年早些时候购买的一家公司：位于意大利阿罗纳的SPIG。
燃煤设备正在退休，其中一些被转换为气体燃气单元或双燃料单元。摩根指出：“但是煤炭发电并没有完全消失。”尽管退休将继续，但B＆W业务的很大一部分将是维护仍在运营的植物。
福陆公司只完成大规模nuclear-power projects in the U.S.: Southern Co.’s two AP1000 units at Plant Vogtle in Georgia and SCANA-Santee Cooper’s expansion of its V.C. Summer nuclear plant in South Carolina. While the industry is watching the cost and schedule of each unit, construction of more traditional nuclear plants, especially in unregulated markets, remains questionable as long as natural-gas prices stay low. “It’s all driven by economics,” says David Williams, vice president of sales.
Fluor正在进入小型模块化核反应堆（SMR）业务，并将在今年年底之前向核监管委员会提出申请，以建设高达50兆瓦的犹他州相关市政权力中的12个。“我们专注于SMR。威廉姆斯说：“这是市场何时起飞的问题。”威廉姆斯说。他指出，天然气技术正在发展。威廉姆斯说，单位更大，效率更高，更快的升级时间。
“I don’t think we will see a major change in the use of natural gas through 2025 to 2030,” he says.
