Ulteig Secures Multiple Awards from ACEC Colorado

Ulteig was recently honored with multiple awards by the ACEC Colorado Engineering Excellence Awards program.

Participants were judged based on uniqueness and/or innovative applications of new or existing techniques, future value to the engineering profession and enhanced public awareness/enthusiasm of the role of engineering, social, economic, and sustainable development considerations, complexity and successful fulfilment of client/owner needs.

Learn more about each project below, and watch the videos featuring Ulteig team members John Butt, Peter Crooks and Greg Parent to hear more about the ins and outs of each project.

HONOR AWARD

CDOT I-70 Bridge Replacement of F-13-S_Minor

It’s a stretch of road you’ll never forget. At slightly more than nine miles in length and rising up to 11,158-feet above sea level, the interstate between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne, Colorado represents some of the most intense white-knuckle driving in the U.S. This is the welcome mat to Colorado’s famed Summit County, home to some of the best downhill skiing in the world.

At milepost 211 is F13-S_Minor, a 200-foot-long, concrete box culvert primarily used by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as a turnaround point for snowplows and other emergency vehicles, which allows them to avoid going all the way into Silverthorne… READ MORE HERE

Watch the ACEC Colorado Video, featuring John Butt, PE, HERE.

MERIT AWARD

Western Spirit Wind

Over the course of the next few years, this rural region of New Mexico will become famous for being the center of the largest wind energy project in the United States.

In 2017, Ulteig was hired by wind energy developer and Independent Power Producer PATTERN ENERGY to design a system to collect energy from the 377-turbine Western Spirit Wind Projects through four collection substations. Electricity would then be transmitted through 67 miles of 345 kV AC transmission lines (the GenTie Transmission) to the 155-mile Western Spirit Transmission line. The collection substations were designed with power metering equipment that meets the California ISO (CAISO) metering requirements, which allows power produced from the Western Spirit wind farm to be sold on the California grid… READ MORE HERE

Watch the ACEC Colorado Video, featuring Greg Parent, PE, HERE.

MERIT AWARD

Cheyenne Ridge Wind

Located in Colorado’s Cheyenne and Kit Carson counties, the Cheyenne Ridge Wind project began in June 2019. The facility opened for commercial operation in August 2020, one month ahead of schedule. At its opening, the 500MW wind project was the second-largest single-phase wind project in the state. Ulteig was hired to be the project designer for its client, the developer/builder Mortenson, with Colorado’s largest utility company as the owner.

Ulteig’s role was designing the collection system and two substations and performing system studies for the large wind farm. The new facility produces enough power for 270,000 homes and utilizes 229 turbines. Completion of the project will help the owner meet its future renewable goals of 80% carbon reduction by 2030. In addition, Cheyenne Ridge is expected to generate about $107 million in landowner payments and another $29 million in new tax revenue over the life of the project. In September 2020, Cheyenne Ridge helped the utility set a record for Colorado when the wind power on its system served close to 70% of energy for customers. The new wind facility aligns with Colorado’s goal to have the state reach 100% renewable electricity by 2040.

A key challenge for Ulteig occurred soon after project kickoff, when the original owner sold the project to a new utility, who then hired a new developer, Mortenson, to build. The Ulteig team, a longtime partner with Mortenson and the new owner, quickly adapted to the new clients’ standards. Ulteig adapted, maintained quality, and delivered the project ahead of schedule.

Watch the ACEC Colorado Video, featuring Peter Crooks, PE, HERE.