Powering Progress: Why Black & Veatch's Award Redefines Infrastructure

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – July 28, 2026 – When Duke Energy, one of the nation's largest utility providers, names its top supplier for corporate responsibility, the industry takes note. This year, the recognition went to Black & Veatch, a global engineering and construction giant, which received the 2026 Corporate Responsibility Supplier of the Year Award. While plaques and press releases are standard fare in the corporate world, this award signifies something more profound: a fundamental shift in how we define success for critical infrastructure. It’s no longer just about delivering projects on time and on budget; it's about how those projects are delivered, who they benefit, and the lasting value they create for communities.

The award, presented at Duke Energy’s Supplier Exchange Forum in Charlotte, North Carolina, honors a partnership that has successfully integrated safety, operational excellence, and deep community stewardship into the bedrock of its operations. It’s a validation of a model where building a solar farm or a substation is intrinsically linked to building local economies and a skilled workforce.

A Partnership Forged in Responsibility

The award is the culmination of a long-standing collaboration between Duke Energy and Black & Veatch across a vast portfolio of projects essential to the energy transition. This work spans cutting-edge battery energy storage systems, robust substations, solar facilities, modern telecommunications infrastructure, and critical storm recovery efforts. The common thread across this diverse work is a shared philosophy that operational excellence cannot be decoupled from social and corporate responsibility.

Duke Energy’s selection criteria for this award are rigorous, evaluating suppliers on their dedication to safe work practices, positive local economic impact, supplier diversity, and environmental stewardship. Black & Veatch’s performance across these metrics demonstrates a holistic approach.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to doing the right thing for our people, our collective Black & Veatch and Duke Energy teams and the communities we serve,” said Todd Edsall, president of Power Providers at Black & Veatch. “At the heart of that commitment is a simple truth: safety, reliability and affordability are personal. Behind every project is someone counting on us — a parent, a caregiver, a neighbor or a customer. People trust all of us to provide the resilient energy that powers their homes, businesses and daily lives, and we take that responsibility seriously.”

This sentiment moves beyond corporate platitudes. It points to a deeply embedded culture where the abstract goal of powering society is translated into a tangible responsibility for the individuals who live and work near its projects.

From Megawatts to Main Street: The Local Impact Model

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Black & Veatch's recognition is its proven ability to translate large-scale infrastructure investment into local, measurable benefits. Through its construction arms, including Overland Contracting Inc. (OCI) and Bird Electric, the company has made local workforce development and supplier engagement a cornerstone of its project execution, particularly in the Carolinas.

Instead of importing talent and resources, the company focuses on sourcing a significant portion of its craft labor from local communities. This strategy is complemented by a robust program to partner with small, local, and diverse suppliers, creating a ripple effect of economic opportunity. This isn’t just about meeting diversity quotas; it’s a strategic decision that strengthens the supply chain and enhances the economic vitality of the regions it serves.

Concrete examples of this community-integrated approach are visible across the Carolinas. In Greenville, South Carolina, Black & Veatch provided design and construction management for the award-winning Reedy River Basin Sewer Tunnel. Dubbed “Dig Greenville,” the $39 million project for Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) was not just an engineering feat—a nearly 6,000-foot-long tunnel bored 100 feet underground—but a critical investment in the city’s sustainable growth. It expanded wastewater capacity to support a booming population and protected the local environment from overflows, earning it the “2022 Public Works Project of the Year” from the American Public Works Association.

Further south, in Charleston, the company was selected to develop a comprehensive, 25-year flood mitigation plan. This forward-looking framework is designed to manage complex flood risks from tides, sea level rise, and storm surge, preserving the city’s historic character and economic viability. This role requires not just engineering prowess, but what city officials call “in-depth local knowledge,” a testament to the firm’s long-term presence and investment in the region.

The New Competitive Landscape: Safety, Sustainability, and the Supply Chain

Black & Veatch's award is a signal in the noise of a rapidly evolving energy sector. It highlights a new competitive imperative where Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are no longer a peripheral concern but a central pillar of business strategy. Companies that master this integration are gaining a distinct advantage.

Duke Energy itself is a major driver of this trend. As a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an elite group of corporations spending over $1 billion annually with diverse suppliers, Duke Energy sets a high bar. The utility’s programs have created a powerful incentive for its partners to elevate their own corporate responsibility efforts. This creates a virtuous cycle, where responsible practices are cascaded throughout the entire supply chain.

Black & Veatch’s internal programs demonstrate what it takes to meet this high standard. Its safety culture, built on a “Zero Injuries Today” philosophy, is so effective that it earned the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status—the highest possible recognition. This is reinforced by proprietary tools like BVSafe®, a software suite that provides real-time validation of worker credentials to minimize incident risks.

Beyond safety, the company is deeply invested in building the next generation of skilled labor through U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs. On the environmental front, it has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and aligns its sustainability efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This comprehensive commitment to people and the planet is what separates leaders from the rest of the pack.

Ultimately, the recognition from Duke Energy is more than an award for a single supplier. It is a clear indicator of the future of infrastructure development, where the most successful companies will be those that build with purpose, invest in people, and prove that progress and responsibility can, and must, be built together.