Press Release

Burns & McDonnell Selected to Execute Engineering, Procurement and Construction for Bonneville Power Administration

VANCOUVER, Washington (March 15, 2021) — Burns & McDonnell, ranked No. 6 in Top 100 Design-Build Firms by Engineering News-Record (ENR), was selected by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to provide full-service engineering, architecture, environmental, permitting and construction solutions for a variety of power projects in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. As part of a five-year engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contract, Burn & McDonnell will also provide program management services.

“We are honored to continue our partnership with BPA to help them upgrade systems,” says Mark Lichtwardt, senior vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in Denver, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. “From environmental services to construction, we’re looking forward to providing one-stop-shop services improving BPA’s energy infrastructure.”

Bonneville Power Administration’s Quenett Creek Substation. Burns & McDonnell completed the design and construction for the project. Courtesy: Burns & McDonnell

The work will support the utility in providing safe, reliable and sustainable energy to its customers and the community through the collection of power projects BPA has planned in the next five years. Projects the firm will support, in partnership with subconsultant electrical construction company MYR Group, include greenfield substations, site expansions, transmission lines and multi-outage brownfield substations.

As part of providing program management services and supporting technical efforts, Burns & McDonnell will coordinate project planning, design and construction services throughout all stages of the power projects. The five-year contract was awarded in December 2020, with projects running simultaneously until anticipated completion in 2025.

Burns & McDonnell has experience managing more than 500 projects in the region, including extensive work completed for BPA substations, and is the No. 1 ranked firm in Power and Transmission & Distribution by ENR. The firm completed $30 billion of capital spend in program management services in the past 10 years, implementing an integrated and phased approach for many of the projects. Burns & McDonnell has office locations around the world, including in Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, Washington; and Seattle, Washington.