CUSTOMER USE STORIES

Pivvot is committed to customer success. Read our industry use cases to learn how we deliver insights, results, and value to save our clients time and money while reducing risk. 

Client: Great Basin Transmission, LLC 

Industry: Power utility

Problem Statement:  Assessing cultural resources across two states for a proposed 500-kV transmission line

The Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-North) is a major transmission project consisting of a proposed 500-kV transmission line from central Nevada to south central Idaho, approximately 300 miles in length, crossing a mix of federal and private land. This project is designed to deliver up to 2,000 MW of electricity and enhance regional energy reliability and affordability.

Terracon is conducting cultural resource studies on behalf of Great Basin Transmission (GBT), LLC, to fulfill stipulations of the Notice to Proceed granted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including a cultural site visual effect assessment.

For this assessment, Terracon, using Pivvot, identified cultural resources, including archaeological and built environment resources, within a corridor extending 5 miles on either side of the proposed transmission line. The BLM requested that the client notify private landowners within the 10-mile-wide study corridor to determine whether cultural resources on private property could be assessed for visual effects.

Great Basin Transmission had landowner data for the 200-foot-wide proposed transmission line easement, but not for the broader 10-mile-wide corridor across Nevada and Idaho. Gathering that information through traditional county-by-county tax assessor research could have taken months, potentially delaying project progress and increasing the time and effort needed to move the study forward. The challenge was not selecting the corridor — it was quickly identifying affected parcels and landowners along the preferred corridor so the client could meet notification requirements and keep the cultural resource assessment moving.

Terracon’s environmental professionals used Pivvot to quickly obtain parcel and landowner data for the full 10-mile-wide study corridor, overlaying that parcel data with cultural resource information, to identify which landowners needed to be notified and contacted for access to support the visual effect assessment.

Using Pivvot gave the project team a more complete view of affected parcels and landowners in approximately one week. Instead of relying on a months-long manual research process, the client was able to move forward with landowner notifications before the holidays, helping keep the assessment on track for planned field visits.

Learn more about how Pivvot supports site selection and early project planning. 

Client: Solar developer

Industry: Solar and renewables

Problem Statement: Identify feasible sites for solar farms in Virginia

A solar developer was looking for large plots of land in Virginia for utility-scale solar projects. Virginia has become a very competitive state as many developers are looking for suitable sites near the PJM interconnection system.

Using Pivvot, the developer is able to search for 200+ acres within a reasonable distance of the PJM transmission system. They are able to quickly evaluate usable area and setbacks for sites that meet their criteria and pass on options that are not suitable earlier in the process.

Want more information? Watch our Pivvot Siting Webinar.

Client: Large EPC

Industry: Power transmission

Problem Statement: Identify re-routes for an existing electric transmission corridor

A right-of-way manager at a large EPC was responsible for rerouting an existing electric transmission corridor. The original corridor ran through Federal lands, and they needed viable options to move it. Using Pivvot Route, they were able to add in the areas to avoid as well as criteria to include in the analysis. The client did not have to reach out to each county or city to get data they needed to conduct the analysis as it’s included in the Pivvot data.

The ROW manager generated multiple routes and was able to select the least-cost, minimal impact option. With Pivvot, they’ve seen over 50% savings on project schedule time.

Learn more about this use case by watching our webinar. 

Client: Large EPC

Industry: Environmental services

Problem Statement: Create permit matrix and flag environmental risks

The environmental services group at a large EPC was siting a workspace near an electric substation. The group was asked to create a permitting matrix for the project as well as flag any potential environmental risks. The project manager used Pivvot’s data layers and visualization capabilities to quickly assess the area. Within minutes, she was able to see that the project area was in a floodplain and near a critical species habitat – which would require lengthy permit applications.

Armed with this knowledge, she recommended moving the project to a nearby, suitable location that was both outside the floodplain and further from the critical species habitat. This move reduced the number of permits required (to reduce the project schedule) and helped avoid environmental impact risk. With Pivvot, they are more consistent, accurate and most importantly more efficient.

Learn more about this use case by watching our webinar.

Client: Large natural gas utility

Industry: Gas transmission and distribution

Problem Statement: Evaluate route options for natural gas transmission in highly populated area

A large natural gas utility used Pivvot to evaluate multiple pipeline route options for a 20-inch transmission line in a highly populated, metro area. Pivvot’s software analyzed the options provided by the utility and delivered detailed crossing and impact reports in minutes. The utility had previously run a similar project manually, and it took roughly three months to complete.

With Pivvot, they shaved months off their project schedule by avoiding manual data collection and analysis. They were able to confirm their optimal route, backed by up-to-date data, and deliver detailed defendable reports to project stakeholders. 

Client: Integrity services firm

Industry: Oil and gas pipeline transmission

Problem Statement: Acquire lightning strike data to inform risk management

On a recent risk management project, an integrity management firm needed to calculate the likelihood of a lightning strike on a segment of pipeline. They came to Pivvot to acquire historical lightning data in the area. The Pivvot data services team researched multiple data sources and delivered the highest quality information for the project.

The Pivvot team located, prepared and delivered the data in less than two weeks, shaving time off the project and ensuring a swift delivery to the end-client.

Client: Large EPC

Industry: Oil and gas transmission 

Problem Statement: Develop materials list for natural gas pipeline project to avoid costly unforeseen construction costs and delays

On a current project for new natural gas pipeline, an engineering firm used Pivvot’s crossing and impact reports to include roads, rivers, wetlands, and more. Using the lengths of each crossing, a derivative of the Pivvot geospatial analysis, they were able to determine the level of wall thickness that would be needed along the pipeline route, resulting in a materials list that provided more informed estimating.

With the materials list available much earlier in the project and one that used data to more accurately inform the anticipated building costs, the engineering firm provided a cost estimate that better reflected the anticipated conditions to their client and were well prepared for the project.

Learn more about this use case by downloading the case study.

Client: Large pipeline operator

Industry: Oil and gas transmission 

Problem Statement: Understand construction realities earlier in the project 

A crude oil transmission pipeline operator was building a 24-mile pipeline in an area surrounded by bedrock. They had received Final Investment Decision and had budgeted for rock sawing to cut through bedrock as the location didn’t allow for blasting. They contracted an engineering firm to begin the project design who assessed the line using the Pivvot platform. They were able to visualize the surrounding area and analyze detailed crossing reports in minutes.

In this instance, the operator had dramatically overestimated the amount of rock sawing needed. Had they used Pivvot earlier in the planning or cost estimation phases, they could have saved millions of dollars that are now committed and trapped in this project.

Learn more about this use case by downloading our case study.