Public Power Utilities Turn to Facility Studies Before Capital Spend
St. Louis – November 04, 2026 -- Public power utilities can replace piecemeal, emergency-driven facility spending with a four-to-six-month planning study that sizes space needs 20 to 30 years ahead, according to design-build firm Cooperative Building Solutions (CBS).
CBS says many utility operations centers and headquarters were built decades ago for smaller fleets and workforces. Trucks have grown larger, storm response is more demanding, and SCADA, AMI and fiber systems now require space, security and redundancy. Roof replacements and warehouse additions made one at a time can lock a utility into buildings that no longer fit its operations.