PowerSecure and Federal Services collaborate on helicopter placement of GSA cooling towers

Southern Company Federal Services and PowerSecure, on behalf of Atlanta Gas Light, have collaborated to successfully complete an ambitious operation for the U.S. General Services Administration, a federal agency and customer of AGL.

Old cooling towers and piping on the roof of the 24-story Sam Nunn Federal Building in downtown Atlanta were removed by helicopter on Saturday, July 8. New cooling towers and piping were airlifted and secured in place the following Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16.

The airlift involved coordination with multiple entities, including the Atlanta Police Department for street closures in the vicinity, as well as a partial evacuation of neighboring buildings. Also in the loop for communications and notifications were the Atlanta Fire Department, Fulton County 911, MARTA, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Atlanta Department of Transportation. A transport category Sikorsky S61N helicopter from Construction Helicopters was used to airlift the six massive cooling tower units and associated piping components. Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based McAbee Construction assisted with the lift and installation.

The lift was part of a broader initiative to improve energy efficiency at 12 GSA courthouses and federal buildings. When completed, the $71.6 million project will deliver increased energy efficiency and resiliency, including projected annual energy savings for GSA of more than $3 million, and an annual reduction of more than 18,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

“This operation represents a major accomplishment on behalf of AGL and their long-time customer, the General Services Administration,” commented Keith Radcliff, project manager with Federal Services. “It serves as an excellent demonstration of how Southern Company subsidiaries are able to collaborate to execute this type of large-scale undertaking.” Added Radcliff, “We were especially pleased to partner with PowerSecure, who did an absolutely outstanding job of project coordination.”

“The success of this operation is the result of intensive planning and collaboration between a variety of Southern Company entities and external parties,” said PowerSecure Program Manager Ben Chambers. “PowerSecure was thrilled to help make this happen.”

"GSA's partnership with Southern Company is helping us get closer to our net zero goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving taxpayers nearly $3 million in annual energy costs. Not only are we saving money, we are reducing pollution and operating more efficiently," said GSA Regional Administrator Jason Shelton. "We are excited to see the success of this project. Its innovation and technology will be a catalyst to enhance opportunities not only for our federal facilities, but for the entire nation."

Watch the installation.