GHD expands North American dams and hydropower business into US West market
IRVINE, CA, December 5, 2024: GHD today announced it is entering the dams and hydropower market in the US west with the formation of a new business and team led by Sridhar Sadasivan, GHD regional general manager for the US West region. The move aligns with GHD’s commitment to expanding its global footprint and leveraging its expertise in dam management and sustainable energy solutions in the Americas. Based in California, the team will seek out and manage opportunities in the western US.
According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, the estimated cost to rehabilitate USA dams is approximately $156 billion, with 90 percent being non-federal. Most dams and hydropower assets, built in the 1960s, now require maintenance and upgrades.
“Dam safety risk assessment is an emerging field for GHD in the Americas, and our extensive global experience positions us well to meet this growing demand. Adapting existing dams to mixed-use reservoirs, including adding hydropower, flood mitigation, and dam removal, presents us with new opportunities for innovative solutions that we’ve built and proven for more than 90 years when GHD was founded,” said Sadasivan.
The expansion is driven by a newly formed team who bring a wealth of experience and expertise in civil engineering and geotechnical services including a myriad of capabilities in dam safety, design and rehabilitation. The new team will include industry veterans Joe Kulikowski, US West Dams and Levees Practice Lead, and Dr. Soma Balachandran, US West Geotechnical Practice Lead.
“Our new team’s extensive experience and proven track record in the dams sector will be instrumental in achieving our growth objectives and enhancing our water service offerings in the Americas,” added Jonathan Pressdee, US Water Market Lead. “Building this capability now in the US underscores our commitment to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients.”
Click here for more information on GHD’s Dams business.
About GHD
GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 11,000+ professionals are connected across 160 offices located on five continents.www.ghd.com.
GHD in the Americas
GHD has long-standing client relationships, a significant project and economic footprint in the Americas and represents 40 percent of GHD’s global workforce with nearly 4,000 professionals in over 130 offices in the US, Canada, and Chile. In 2024, our Canadian business was named one of Canada’s Top 100 employers. GHD ranks #9 in international design firms operating in the US and #6 in Canada according to Engineering News-Record’s 2023 annual survey of key market segments. GHD’s operations in Canada, the US and the UK were named as a 2024 Best Places To Work for disability inclusion by Disability:IN. These rankings reflect the size and significance of our growing Americas businesses. To find a local office, click here.
