J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) announces the promotion of Christopher Rousseau, P.E., F. ASCE to Hydro and Renewable Energy Market Leader. Rousseau’s promotion is announced concurrently with Brennan’s strategic objective to further invest in renewable energy development.

Rousseau will use decades of experience in hydroelectric generation working for Midwest-based utility, Minnesota Power, to support the repair and rehabilitation needs of Brennan’s hydro dam clients. Catering to a huge need for early contractor involvement; Rousseau is bridging the gap between hydroelectric dam owners, engineers, and the contractor teams that perform inspections, maintenance, and rehabilitation work.

Our Pacific Northwest crew mobilized at a hydroelectric facility to repair a fish guidance net at Upper Baker Dam. Upper Baker Dam is 1 of 2 hydroelectric dams on Baker River, near Concrete, WA. The entire Baker River Hydroelectric Project covers nearly 300 square miles.

Upper Baker Dam, a 312-foot-high concrete gravity dam completed in 1959, has a floating surface collector system responsible for attracting and safely holding juvenile salmon for downstream transport around the dam. We supplied dive and topside support teams to assist the prime contractor with the recovery, disassembly, and installation of a new floatation collar on the existing barrier net. This is an essential repair to ensure safe fish passage around the dam.

Marine construction firm J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) is excited to announce the addition of new Senior Estimator, Government Relations and Hydro Operations Manager Christopher Rousseau, P.E., F. ASCE to its team.

“We are fortunate to have Chris join our team,” says Vice President of Business Development Mark Binsfeld. “His firsthand knowledge of hydroelectric generation and surrounding regulatory factors will allow us to serve our clients more effectively.”

Constructability reviews are imperative to project success. They can save you money, reduce the risk of cost escalation, and are often provided pro-bono by a good contractor. When it comes to requesting a contractor's constructability review, timing is important. If the review is performed too late, problems could result, including confusion surrounding the project, loss of significant time and money, and hefty change orders later in the project. The question then is: when is the optimal time to have a contractor perform a constructability review?

J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) recently established a permanent presence in the Mid-South Region. Our company’s new Mid-South location is in Paducah, Kentucky, and will provide all Brennan services, including above and below-water construction and environmental remediation services.

80 years old and 35 years since its last rehab, LaGrange Lock and Dam in Versailles, IL was in major need of rehabilitation. Brennan partnered with prime contractor Shimmick Construction (Shimmick) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Rock Island District, along with hundreds of crew members, to execute quality repairs through the existing lock.

J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) formally announces their Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) certified joint venture with Ahtna Marine & Construction Company, LLC (AMCC). Publicly titled the Ahtna – J.F. Brennan JV, the partnership establishes a mentor protégé relationship between Brennan and Alaska Native Corporation subsidiary AMCC.

102 years of lateral earth pressure and deterioration at Pisgah Dam caused its existing spillway wall to lean. Partnering with private dam owner Otter Tail Power Company, Brennan ensured their hydropower dam received necessary repairs. The project included concrete demolition and the replacement of the dam's north spillway wall over two years.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity in the United States. An important duty of FERC is to monitor conditions of the more than 1,700 non-federal, electricity-generating dams in the US. They also set standards that hydropower project owners must follow to ensure the safety of the general public. This includes mandating regular inspections of hydropower projects to certify they are in sound condition and comply with the Commission’s safety standards. Owners not in compliance with the Commission’s inspection standards risk losing their power generating license.

J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) recently won a contract with AECOM Energy and Construction (AECOM) for remediation work on LaGrange Lock and Dam on the Illinois River. The contract required us to partake in major gate and concrete rehab while supplying wireless internet access not only to our own Brennan office trailers, but also to prime contractor AECOM and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the duration of the multi-year project.