Both. Some clients hire us directly, while others bring us in through their civil engineer or architect. We’re comfortable working in any structure — what matters most is early involvement to ensure coordinated planning.
Case Studies
For 40+ years, we've helped Northen California's most ambitious developments get energized - with clarity, on time, on budget, and without the usual dry utility headaches.
Companies that trust Us
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Moffett Towers II — Utility Precision on a Landmark Campus
Client: Jay Paul Company
Project: Moffett Towers II
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Project Type: Class A Office Campus (1.8M+ SF)
Results
- Avoided costly PG&E delays by engaging early in both transmission and distribution coordination
- Expedited PG&E plan approvals thanks to PSD’s utility designs and established agency relationships
- Integrated temporary and permanent infrastructure, saving time and construction costs
- Reduced permit comments and change orders with clear and accurate joint trench plans
- Optimized system capacity planning, aligning PG&E load projections with phased tenant delivery
Solution
- PSD was engaged early to lead all electric and gas utility planning, starting with load projection modeling and system capacity conversations with PG&E. The team: Provided master dry utility design for the entire campus
- Created phased utility routing strategies to align with off-site improvements
- Coordinated across PG&E’s Transmission and Distribution divisions
- Integrated Rules 13, 15, 16, and 20 requirements into the planning
- Delivered joint trench composite layouts and dry utility intents early to support city submittals
- Facilitated early easement discussions with the client, PG&E, and City of Sunnyvale
- Secured timely construction power infrastructure aligned with permanent utilities
- PSD’s early involvement and technical depth positioned the project for execution clarity, saving the client both time and money.
Challenge
With multiple 8-story buildings, structured parking, and a central amenities hub, Moffett Towers II posed a series of complex infrastructure challenges:
- PG&E system planning was unclear and fragmented, causing delays and risk to tenant delivery schedules
- The project required extensive coordination with PG&E Transmission & Distribution, AT&T, and the City of Sunnyvale
- High stakes: Schedule delays could jeopardize major tenant deliveries and increase hol ding costs
- Off-site overhead relocation and on-site infrastructure needed to be phased and aligned with vertical construction timelines
Mission Rock – Multi-Utility Mastery on San Francisco’s Waterfront
Client: SF Giants / Tishman Speyer
Location: Mission Rock, San Francisco, CA
Project Type: Mixed-use waterfront redevelopment
Scope: Retail, commercial, event space, affordable + market-rate housing, and social amenities
Results
- On-time project delivery supported by early utility planning and strategic coordination
- Reduced trench length and streamlined construction through composite joint trench strategy
- City plan checks accelerated due to accurate, complete utility design packages
- Navigated multi-agency complexity, including SFPUC, PG&E, AT&T, Comcast, and DT
- Delivered approved public street lighting system, fully integrated into utility plan set
Solution
PSD led the utility design and coordination efforts for this landmark San Francisco neighborhood:
- Developed the MEIP and Master dry utility layout and agency coordination
- Joint trench composite plan incorporating power, gas, telecom, fiber, CATV, and street lighting
- PG&E Rule 15/16 gas planning (WRO removal & relocation)
- PG&E Overhead Removal/Relocation (WRO)
- SFPUC electric utility planning and WDT coordination
- Telecom design and layout for AT&T, Comcast, and City of SF Department of Technology (DT)
- Full public street lighting system design, including photometric modeling and comment resolution
- Close collaboration with the development team and civil engineers from preconstruction onward
- Coordination of utility easements, trench sequencing, and long-term constructability
- PSD’s deep experience and longstanding relationships with City utilities — particularly SFPUC — enabled the team to resolve friction points and move the design forward faster than typical for projects of this scale.
Challenge
Mission Rock’s location and complexity posed major infrastructure hurdles:
- Jurisdictional overlap between SFPUC, PG&E, Port of SF, and City departments
- Conflicting utility standards across agencies and inconsistent review feedback
- A relatively new electric utility provider (SFPUC) with evolving construction/design standards
- Sequencing pressure to clear PG&E overhead and gas facilities ahead of early horizontal improvements
- Political and jurisdiction friction between SFPUC and PG&E required strategic coordination
- PSD became the glue that held the multi-agency utility effort together.
Impact
Thanks to PSD’s detailed planning and coordination:
- Utilities were delivered on time and to spec, avoiding costly rework
- Utility trenching was optimized and reduced, lowering capital cost
- Plan check cycles were shortened due to clear, coordinated design sets
- RFI count was minimized during construction
- Client maintained momentum to deliver housing, retail, and infrastructure per schedule
River Islands – Utility Leadership on one of California’s Largest Master-Planned Community
As utility lead for California’s largest active master-planned community, PSD has delivered 5,000+ lots with clear trenching, phased designs, and 20+ years of trusted service.
Results
- Accelerated city and utility agency approvals, reducing bottlenecks
- 5,000 lots installed to date across approx. 2,000 acres with clear utility phasing
- Consistent construction schedule supported by highly coordinated trench design
- Joint trench planning for homes, schools, parks, and civic uses
- Endorsed by River Islands’ President after 20 years of partnership
- “PSD is very responsive to our needs and has been professional in every interaction. They are a big part of our team, and we intend to work together for the next 20 years.”
- — Susan Dell’Osso, President, River Islands Development
Solution
PSD has served as the utility backbone of River Islands since its inception, delivering a full suite of dry utility planning and design services:
- Master electric utility planning and circuit design for Lathrop Irrigation District (LID)
- Master dry utility design across residential, education, and recreational phases
- PG&E Rule 15/16 gas planning and design, including early coordination and WDT strategies
- Telecom and fiber layout for AT&T, Comcast, and LID fiber
- City street lighting design and photometric modeling for all neighborhoods and arterials
- Joint trench composite plans for major backbones and phased development areas
- From early infrastructure planning through neighborhood buildout, PSD developed standardized design packages, agency-ready plan sets, and clear trenching strategies to reduce confusion and drive construction efficiency.
Challenge
River Islands is among the largest active master-planned communities in California. Key challenges included:
- Jurisdictional complexity between LID, PG&E, telecom carriers, and the City of Lathrop
- Rapidly evolving LID utility standards, requiring flexible design expertise
- Electric WDT coordination with PG&E, evolving into a transmission-level service
- Load forecasting, feeder routing, and phasing for 15,000+ future homes and 7 planned schools
- Need to accommodate multiple housing builders, infrastructure contractors, and vertical phasing
- Without a central utility strategist like PSD, the risk of rework, misaligned trenching, or schedule slip would have been significant.
Impact
PSD’s contribution has led to:
- Streamlined trench routing and approvals, reducing city and agency comments
- Clear jurisdictional handoffs, improving installation speed and agency compliance
- Scalable design documentation used across 2,000+ acres of active development
- On-time delivery of schools, commercial sites, and housing phases
- Significant savings in trenching, design rework, and construction delays
The Master Plan
- 4,905 acres of community development
- 15,000 planned homes
- 7 schools, dozens of parks, and miles of riverfront/lakefront trails
- New business park, downtown retail, and ACE rail connections
- All supported by comprehensive dry utility infrastructure designed and managed by PSD
What Makes Us Different
We’re not just utility consultants — we’re strategic partners in your project’s success. From master-planned communities to complex urban redevelopments, Power Systems Design Group brings clarity, coordination, and confidence to every phase of dry utility engineering.
Strategic Partnership
Our role goes far beyond drafting. We integrate with your development team early, identifying risks, aligning utility timelines, and ensuring agency coordination is never an afterthought. You’ll always have a responsive, experienced partner advocating for your project.
Utility Expertise at Every Scale
With nearly four decades of experience, we understand the complexities of California’s utility landscape — from PG&E to local districts and telecom providers. Whether we’re designing for a 5,000-lot community or a dense urban infill, we engineer for both utility compliance and constructability.
Forward-Thinking Design
We don’t believe in duct-taping problems later. Our team models long-term performance, anticipates service needs, and designs with buildability in mind. Fewer revisions. Fewer delays. Fewer surprises in the field.
Hear From Our Clients
“Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Power Systems Design on numerous projects, and I have been thoroughly impressed with their expertise and the quality of their designs. I consider their team and designs to be best in class. The team's professionalism is consistently outstanding. They communicate effectively at every stage of the project, ensuring that we always feel informed and involved. What has truly stood out while working on complex projects is their commitment to quality and client satisfaction. They have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that their designs are thorough, reliable, and aligned with industry standards. I highly recommend Power Systems Design to anyone seeking cutting-edge design solutions backed by a knowledgeable and dedicated team. Their expertise, high-quality design documents, and passion for excellence truly make a difference!"
Declan O’Connell
"Pacific Development relies upon Power Systems Design Group for all our ground up developments in Northern California. They are design experts with tremendous experience with all public utilities. Not only are they outstanding with their design efforts but they also collaborate with the contractors to find economical solutions."
Brendan Murphy
Brendan Murphy | Partner | Pacific Development
“In the last 6 years we have cooperated with Power Systems Design on dozens of projects. They consistently apply a personal approach to each project which results in timely correspondence, building of great relationships with AHJs, owners and contractors, and most importantly a quality design. The Power Systems CEO personally attends most of the meetings and communicates in a professional and thorough manner. Some of the largest general contractors in the Bay Area use Power Systems Design as their go to dry utility designer. In my opinion, return business from big clients in this fast-paced environment is the best testament that a company can give.”
Josh Young
Vice President / General Manager
"I have been working with Power Systems Design Group (PSD) directly for over 11 years. They have assisted us in designing the dry utilizes for this master planned community. The projects include major backbone roads, Residential housing tracts of over 8000 homes thus far. Many of the Cities utility infrastructures needs and commercial projects. The staff have been very attentive to our needs and have worked tirelessly to insure we stay on schedule. They have been responsive to any of the multiple changes along the way. We will have PSD as our partner until the completions of this project."
Curtis A. Bryant
Public Agency Liaison, River Islands Development & General Manager, Lathrop Irrigation District
“At Smith Denison, we've had the privilege of working with Power Systems Designs Group (PSD) on various projects, where their expertise in dry utility underground project planning has consistently exceeded expectations. Although we don’t work directly with PSD, the companies we collaborate with regularly utilizes their plans, which are integral to the success of our projects. From our experience, PSD stands out as a leader in the field. Their plans are comprehensive, precise, and have always contributed to the smooth and timely execution of our work. The end results are consistently top-notch, helping us to maintain the highest standards in our own operations. In addition to their technical expertise, designers are incredibly responsive and a pleasure to work with. Communication is seamless, and any questions or concerns are addressed promptly. Their professionalism and attention to detail have made every collaboration a positive experience with little to no issues along the way. We recommend Power Systems Designs for anyone seeking exceptional dry utility underground planning services. They are, without a doubt, the best in the business.”
Jackson Burkhart
Smith Denison Construction
"Over the past 20 years, PSD has designed all the electrical and gas infrastructure required for our 5,000-acre, 15,000-home, River Islands master planned project. We have already installed backbone and joint trench for 5,000 lots on about 2,000 acres. PSD is very responsive to our needs and has been professional in every interaction. They are a big part of our team, and we intend to work together for the next 20 years building out River Islands. I would recommend PSD to any land developer."
Susan D
President of River Islands Development
“Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Power Systems Design on numerous projects, and I have been thoroughly impressed with their expertise and the quality of their designs. I consider their team and designs to be best in class. The team's professionalism is consistently outstanding. They communicate effectively at every stage of the project, ensuring that we always feel informed and involved. What has truly stood out while working on complex projects is their commitment to quality and client satisfaction. They have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that their designs are thorough, reliable, and aligned with industry standards. I highly recommend Power Systems Design to anyone seeking cutting-edge design solutions backed by a knowledgeable and dedicated team. Their expertise, high-quality design documents, and passion for excellence truly make a difference!"
Declan O’Connell
"Pacific Development relies upon Power Systems Design Group for all our ground up developments in Northern California. They are design experts with tremendous experience with all public utilities. Not only are they outstanding with their design efforts but they also collaborate with the contractors to find economical solutions."
Brendan Murphy
Brendan Murphy | Partner | Pacific Development
“In the last 6 years we have cooperated with Power Systems Design on dozens of projects. They consistently apply a personal approach to each project which results in timely correspondence, building of great relationships with AHJs, owners and contractors, and most importantly a quality design. The Power Systems CEO personally attends most of the meetings and communicates in a professional and thorough manner. Some of the largest general contractors in the Bay Area use Power Systems Design as their go to dry utility designer. In my opinion, return business from big clients in this fast-paced environment is the best testament that a company can give.”
Josh Young
Vice President / General Manager
"I have been working with Power Systems Design Group (PSD) directly for over 11 years. They have assisted us in designing the dry utilizes for this master planned community. The projects include major backbone roads, Residential housing tracts of over 8000 homes thus far. Many of the Cities utility infrastructures needs and commercial projects. The staff have been very attentive to our needs and have worked tirelessly to insure we stay on schedule. They have been responsive to any of the multiple changes along the way. We will have PSD as our partner until the completions of this project."
Curtis A. Bryant
Public Agency Liaison, River Islands Development & General Manager, Lathrop Irrigation District
“At Smith Denison, we've had the privilege of working with Power Systems Designs Group (PSD) on various projects, where their expertise in dry utility underground project planning has consistently exceeded expectations. Although we don’t work directly with PSD, the companies we collaborate with regularly utilizes their plans, which are integral to the success of our projects. From our experience, PSD stands out as a leader in the field. Their plans are comprehensive, precise, and have always contributed to the smooth and timely execution of our work. The end results are consistently top-notch, helping us to maintain the highest standards in our own operations. In addition to their technical expertise, designers are incredibly responsive and a pleasure to work with. Communication is seamless, and any questions or concerns are addressed promptly. Their professionalism and attention to detail have made every collaboration a positive experience with little to no issues along the way. We recommend Power Systems Designs for anyone seeking exceptional dry utility underground planning services. They are, without a doubt, the best in the business.”
Jackson Burkhart
Smith Denison Construction
"Over the past 20 years, PSD has designed all the electrical and gas infrastructure required for our 5,000-acre, 15,000-home, River Islands master planned project. We have already installed backbone and joint trench for 5,000 lots on about 2,000 acres. PSD is very responsive to our needs and has been professional in every interaction. They are a big part of our team, and we intend to work together for the next 20 years building out River Islands. I would recommend PSD to any land developer."
Susan D
President of River Islands Development
FAQs
Have a question? We’ve probably heard it before.
Can you work directly with developers, or only through civil firms?
Do you handle utility coordination and design approvals?
Yes. We Manage Utility Provider Coordination, Trench Routing & Configuration, City Permitting Support Drawings and Timelines As Part Of Our Process. Our Deep Knowledge of Local Agencies Helps Avoid Delays And Keep Your Project Moving.
What kinds of projects do you typically take on?
We work on everything from life science campuses and tech parks, to mixed-use, high density residential and master-planned communities. If it involves land development and complex utility needs, we’ve probably done it.
How quickly can your team start on a new project?
We’ll work with you to define a realistic kickoff timeline based on scope and energization deadlines. We prioritize responsiveness and typically begin coordination and discovery within a week or two of engagement.
Are you hiring?
Yes — we’re growing. Visit our Careers page to learn more about current opportunities and what it’s like to work with us.
What areas do you serve?
We’re based in Northern California and primarily serve the Bay Area, Central Valley, South Bay, North Bay, Peninsula, and surrounding regions. However, we’re equipped to support projects throughout the state — especially where local utility coordination requires deep experience.
Do you offer substation or high-voltage design services?
While our focus is on dry utility infrastructure, we also offer select medium and high-voltage design services — including substation coordination and feeder layouts — depending on project scope. Let’s talk through your needs to see if it’s a fit.
Streamlining development projects through high-quality services and attention to detail.