Weekly Briefing: October 17, 2025
- Socially Adept Solutions
- Oct 17
- 4 min read
Week of October 13, 2025
California Invests an Additional $40 million Into Offshore Wind Energy Ports
The California Energy Commission awarded $20M to the Port of Long Beach for design and preconstruction of the proposed $5B, 400-acre “Pier Wind” terminal. The port will also contribute an additional $11M match. The facility is envisioned as a major hub for floating offshore wind turbine assembly.
An additional $22.75M was granted for work at other sites including Port San Luis, Humboldt Bay, Oakland, and Richmond. These are the first offshore-wind allocations from Proposition 4, which includes ~$475M for statewide offshore-wind port upgrades through June 2030.
The preliminary schedule states construction on Pier Wind could start in 2027, with 200 acres completed by 2031 and a full build-out by 2035, pending environmental approvals. Planned features include deep-water berths, heavy-lift wharves, and large staging areas.
California stakeholders view diversified clean energy as necessary to address statewide decarbonization efforts with plans to develop 25 GW of offshore wind by 2045.
New ASCE Report Shows Civil Engineering Salaries Increased an Average of $9,000
The average base salary for civil engineers has risen to $148,000, marking a $9,000 increase from 2024 and a $25,000 increase since 2022, according to the 2025 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report, which compiled responses from 2,415 members.
Job satisfaction among civil engineers has rebounded, with 86.2% of surveyed ASCE members reporting satisfaction, reversing a slight decline noted in the previous year.
Entry-level salaries also continue to grow, reaching $77,100, reflecting strong demand and competitive compensation for new professionals entering the field.
ASCE emphasizes the importance of recruiting and retaining talent, highlighting civil engineering as a rewarding career path essential to infrastructure development and public welfare.
October 13, 2025
Bowman Consulting Group (Bowman), a Virginia-based multi-disciplinary consulting firm, has acquired Lazen Power Engineering (Lazen), a Florida-based power engineering firm specializing in the design and construction oversight of high-voltage transmission line infrastructure. The acquisition will strengthen Bowman’s capabilities in utility design and maintenance. “This acquisition accelerates our long-term strategy to build a comprehensive energy practice focused on generation, distribution, storage, delivery and maintenance of power-related infrastructure,” noted founder and CEO of Bowman, Gary Bowman. “The addition of Lazen and its team of highly skilled professionals immediately establishes our capability in overhead transmission line design and lays important groundwork for future growth of our energy practice.”
October 14, 2025
Trinity Consultants Life Sciences (Trinity), a Texas-based global Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) firm, backed by Oak Hill Capital, has acquired Benchmark Risk Group, an Illinois-based scientific consulting firm dedicated to addressing complex and emerging challenges associated with chemical, physical, and biological exposures in workplaces, communities, and consumer settings. The acquisition will add to Trinity’s team of science advisors analyzing human health risks from chemical, physical and biological exposures. “Benchmark Risk Group shares our commitment to scientific rigor, responsiveness and technical excellence, enabling economic development while safeguarding human health and the environment,” commented Albert Dyrness, divisional president at Trinity. “Benchmark Risk Group’s complementary capabilities and cultural fit will serve as a foundation to expand our Risk Science and Safety business line and deliver higher value and higher impact services that start with science.”
October 15, 2025
SLR Consulting (SLR), a UK-based environmental firm, backed by Ares Management, has acquired Forte Dynamics, a Colorado-based mining engineering company, and Forte Analytical, a Colorado-based advanced metallurgical research and testing laboratory. The acquisitions will bolster SLR’s presence in the mineral and battery metals sectors and strengthen its mining-related delivery capabilities. Marco Maestri, Global Mining Sector Director at SLR, said, “This strategic US acquisition strengthens SLR’s mining capabilities in North America while reinforcing SLR’s position as one of the few consultancies globally that can successfully deliver integrated technical, advisory, and sustainability services across the complete mining lifecycle.”
October 15, 2025
Hord Coplan Macht (HCM), a Maryland-based architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and planning firm, has acquired Path21, a Colorado-based healthcare and commercial architecture design firm. The acquisition will add Path21’s expertise and design leadership to HCM. “For our clients, this means more horsepower, more capabilities, and a stronger network to support their projects, no matter the location,” emphasized John Nap, Principal at Path21. “At the same time, we remain committed to the values and level of service our clients have always known us for.”
October 16, 2025
Certerra, a California-based provider of technology-enabled testing, inspection, and certification services for critical infrastructure, backed by OceanSound Partners, has acquired Farabaugh Engineering and Testing (Farabaugh), a Pennsylvania-based provider of product testing, auditing, and engineering services. The acquisition will strengthen Certerra’s technical capabilities and geographic footprint in the U.S. “The addition of Farabaugh brings highly specialized capabilities to our Analytical Labs and Building Products Divisions,” said Ed Lyon, CEO of Certerra. “Their strong regional presence, deep technical expertise, and longstanding client relationships strengthen our mission to assure quality and advance innovation in building product end markets.”
We are thrilled to welcome Keith Zukowski to the EFCG team!
Keith joins EFCG as Vice President, M&A. Keith brings extensive experience, having advised on more than $6 billion in transactions across the energy, power, and infrastructure sectors from his prior role as Vice President at Harris Williams. He also brings a background in the non-profit sector, having worked on initiatives in clean energy, climate, public health, and water and wastewater infrastructure.
Keith holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond.
Join us in welcoming Keith to EFCG!
The EFCG Weekly Briefing summarizes the week’s key news in the AEC industry, including M&A updates, and micro- and macro-trends, aggregated from industry-focused and global news sources.
To send any additional press releases or news from your firm that you would like us to share please email Clay Han at chan@efcg.com.