The US environmental consulting and engineering industry generated revenues of $28.34 billion in 2013, down 1.5 percent compared to 2012, according to Environmental Business Journal’s annual review.
EBJ’s preliminary estimate shows a return to growth of 1-2 percent for 2014 and 3-4 percent for 2015 based on revenues of more than 600 firms. Revenues are estimated at $28.6 billion in 2014.
EBJ’s annual C&E industry edition includes a proprietary ranking of 44 C&E firms by environmental revenues, led by CH2M Hill, AECOM Technology, URS Corporation, Tetra Tech and Golder Associates.
The report says the loss of US federal government business was the biggest factor in the slowed 2013 growth. The federal market for environmental C&E services declined by 9 percent in 2013, while the state and local government market decreased by 3 percent. By contrast, the private-sector market-spurred by energy, power and even land development-increased by 5 percent.
Improved numbers in 2014-15 will be driven by abundant oil and gas production in the US and Canada, facilitated by new technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydrological fracturing (fracking). EBJ research confirms that shale gale has been a big plus for the environmental C&E industry, not just in terms of direct business with upstream and midstream oil & gas clients but also with resurgent manufacturing and industrial clients that are benefiting from low oil and gas prices.
EBJ expects the federal market to decline in 2014, and few firms expect any bounce-back in 2015.
For the second consecutive year CH2M Hill and Tetra Tech lead the global environmental consultancy market, which saw a 0.8 percent decrease to stand at $28.7 billion in 2013, according to the latest research by Environment Analyst published earlier this week.