What NEI Electric Power Engineering does

NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc. is a private, multidisciplinary electrical power engineering services firm founded in 1982 by John Nelson (formerly of Public Service Company of Colorado, now Xcel Energy) and headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. The firm delivers end-to-end engineering services — including substation design (12.5kV to 500kV+), overhead and underground transmission design, distribution design, solar PV design, battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind MV collection, SCADA and automation, electrical system studies, grid modernization, civil and structural engineering, and field testing and commissioning — to investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, renewable energy developers, data center operators, and oil and gas operators across the United States. Cumulative delivery includes 10GW+ of solar PV plants designed, 1,000+ oil and gas engineering projects, and project execution across 50+ states and countries, with senior technical leadership staffed by PE-licensed engineers and PhDs across each practice area.

The firm's technology stack rests on industry-standard engineering tools — AutoCAD 3D, Autodesk Inventor, Spatial Business Systems, PLS-CADD, PSS/E, PSLF, PSCAD, ETAP, Aspen, SKM, EasyPower, Milsoft, SES CDEGS, WinIGS, EMTP-RV, Cyme, CYMCAP, PVSyst, and ArcPro — layered with proprietary offerings: a turnkey PRC-028 Compliance Solution for NERC inverter-based resource sites and a modular Power Plant Controller (NEI MPPC) based on the WECC REPC_A model with selectable control functions. NEI adopted 3D/BIM design in 2011, established a dedicated SCADA and Automation team in 2014, and integrates SCADA platforms including OSI PI, AVEVA Wonderware, Inductive Automation Ignition, Allen Bradley Rockwell, and SEL RTAC. Service expansion has tracked major grid themes: distributed workforce adoption in 2019, a formal data centers vertical in the mid-2020s, and emerging AI-in-engineering positioning marked by an IEEE REPC 2026 paper award.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracts priced per scope, complexity, and client requirements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-based, with no channel partner or reseller model and a primary sales focus on enterprise and mid-market accounts. The firm does not have disclosed external private equity, venture capital, or parent ownership, and operates without disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or restructuring events — ownership is consistent with founder/employee-held status. Marketing is content-driven via a Knowledge Hub of technical papers, LinkedIn presence, conference participation (e.g., IEEE REPC), and earned media around Top Workplaces recognition (USA Today, Denver Post). The firm employs 101-250 staff, operates a distributed workforce with roughly half remote, and is led by President & CEO Clifton Oertli, MS, MBA, PE.

Name

NEI Electric Power Engineering

Legal name

NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc.

Website

https://neiengineering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NEI Electric Power Engineering is a private, multidisciplinary electrical power engineering services firm delivering substation, transmission, distribution, solar, BESS, SCADA, and grid modernization solutions to utilities, renewable developers, data center operators, and oil and gas clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Power Engineering Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Substation Systems & Integration (EPC, Engineering, Protection, Commissioning) (IMAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Energy Systems & Power Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAG), High-Voltage Electrical Systems (Switchgear, Transformers, Protection & Control) (EUAEAFAA), Power Transformers, Reactors & Auxiliary Power Systems (EUADACAJ), Energy Management Systems & Plant Controllers (PPC, AGC Participation, Curtailment Control) (EUAMAIAI), Grid-Scale Power Conversion & Interconnection (PCS, Grid-Tie Inverters, Converter Stations) (IMAGAAAI)

Keywords

• Electrical power engineering
• Substation design services
• Transmission engineering services
• Renewable energy engineering
• Power system studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services Contracts: NEI generates revenue through professional engineering services contracts for electrical power infrastructure projects. Services include substation design, transmission and distribution engineering, renewable energy design (solar, wind, BESS), SCADA/automation, power system studies, civil and structural engineering, and field services. Revenue is project-based with engagements ranging from conceptual design through construction support and commissioning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NEI Electric Power Engineering is a private, US-based electrical power engineering services firm founded in 1982 that provides multi-disciplinary engineering, design, and field services for substations, transmission and distribution systems, renewable generation plants, and industrial power infrastructure. The firm also develops and supplies proprietary technology products such as the PRC-028 Compliance Solution and the MPPC Power Plant Controller, and delivers SCADA/automation integration and power system studies to utilities, data center operators, renewable developers, and oil & gas and other industrial customers.

Product overview

NEI Electric Power Engineering is an engineering services firm providing multidisciplinary electrical power infrastructure solutions across utility, renewable, and industrial sectors. The portfolio consists of core engineering services including Substation Design & Engineering (12.5kV to 500kV+), Transmission Engineering & Design (overhead and underground to 500kV), Solar (PV) Design, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), SCADA/Automation & Controls, Grid Modernization, 3D Modeling & BIM, Electrical Studies, Distribution Design, Wind Renewable MV Collection, Civil & Structural Engineering, Field Services, Oil & Gas Power Engineering, and a PRC-028 Compliance Solution. These services operate as integrated engineering disciplines rather than modular software products, delivered by cross-functional teams from concept through implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Substation Design Services
• Transmission and Distribution Engineering
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• SCADA and Automation Services
• Power System Studies
• PRC-028 Compliance Solution
• MPPC Power Plant Controller
• 3D / BIM Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 10GW+ of solar power plants designed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Black & Veatch: Global infrastructure leader with a major Renewables and Power business delivering substation, transmission, and BESS engineering - competes with NEI for utility-scale renewable interconnection and grid modernization work.
• Quanta Services: Largest pure-play utility infrastructure services provider with substation, transmission, and renewable construction capabilities - competes with NEI for utility and developer scopes, particularly in T&D and renewables EPC work.
• Sargent & Lundy: Established power and energy engineering consultancy with deep substation, transmission, and grid modernization practices serving IOU and renewable developer clients alongside NEI.
• Burns & McDonnell: Large employee-owned EPC and engineering consultancy with a substantial Transmission & Distribution practice delivering substation, transmission line, and power system studies work directly overlapping NEI's core substation and T&D engineering offerings.
• Kiewit Engineering: Major North American EPC contractor delivering substation, transmission, and renewable infrastructure under integrated design-build models - competes with NEI on large utility-scale renewable and T&D programs.
• Stantec: Global design and engineering firm with a Power & Energy practice covering substations, transmission, renewables, and data center power infrastructure - direct competition for NEI's multi-vertical scope.
• HDR: Engineering consultancy with a sizeable power practice covering substations, T&D, generation, and renewables, frequently partnering with or competing against NEI on utility and renewable developer engagements.

Direct peers

• Ulteig: Employee-owned engineering firm focused on power infrastructure (substations, T&D, renewables, SCADA/automation) for utility and developer clients - highly comparable to NEI on service mix and customer verticals.
• POWER Engineering Services: Specialized power engineering firm delivering substation, transmission, distribution, and field services to utilities, renewable developers, and industrial clients - the closest direct comparable to NEI on service mix, customer verticals, and project-based delivery model.

Emerging players

• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL): Developer of protection, automation, and control solutions used in substations and IBR sites; provides SCADA/RTAC/PPC technology NEI integrates, with overlapping expertise in PRC-028-adjacent compliance engineering services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nei-electric-power-engineering-inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/neiengineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEI Electric Power Engineering