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Business and Organization
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Business and Organization
1. BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATION:

Quanta Services, Inc. (Quanta) is a leading provider of specialty contracting services, offering infrastructure solutions primarily to the electric power and oil and gas industries in the United States, Canada and Australia and select other international markets. Quanta reports its results under three reportable segments: (1) Electric Power Infrastructure Services, (2) Oil and Gas Infrastructure Services and (3) Fiber Optic Licensing and Other.

Electric Power Infrastructure Services Segment

The Electric Power Infrastructure Services segment provides comprehensive network solutions to customers in the electric power industry. Services performed by the Electric Power Infrastructure Services segment generally include the design, installation, upgrade, repair and maintenance of electric power transmission and distribution infrastructure and substation facilities along with other engineering and technical services. This segment also provides emergency restoration services, including the repair of infrastructure damaged by inclement weather, the energized installation, maintenance and upgrade of electric power infrastructure utilizing unique bare hand and hot stick methods and Quanta’s proprietary robotic arm technologies, and the installation of “smart grid” technologies on electric power networks. In addition, this segment designs, installs and maintains renewable energy generation facilities, consisting of solar, wind and certain types of natural gas generation facilities, and related switchyards and transmission infrastructure to transport power to demand centers. To a lesser extent, this segment provides services such as the construction of electric power generation facilities, the design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, installation of traffic networks and the installation of cable and control systems for light rail lines.

Oil and Gas Infrastructure Services Segment

The Oil and Gas Infrastructure Services segment provides comprehensive network solutions to customers involved in the development and transportation of natural gas, oil and other pipeline products. Services performed by the Oil and Gas Infrastructure Services segment generally include the design, installation, repair and maintenance of pipeline transmission and distribution systems, gathering systems, production systems and compressor and pump stations, as well as related trenching, directional boring and automatic welding services. In addition, this segment’s services include pipeline protection, integrity testing, rehabilitation and replacement and fabrication of pipeline support systems and related structures and facilities. Quanta also serves the offshore and inland water energy markets, primarily providing services to oil and gas exploration platforms, including mechanical installation (or “hook-ups”), electrical and instrumentation, pre-commissioning and commissioning, coatings, fabrication, pipeline construction, integrity services and marine asset repair. To a lesser extent, this segment designs, installs and maintains fueling systems as well as water and sewer infrastructure.

Fiber Optic Licensing and Other Segment

The Fiber Optic Licensing and Other segment designs, procures, constructs, maintains and owns fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure in select markets and licenses the right to use these point-to-point fiber optic telecommunications facilities to its customers pursuant to licensing agreements, typically with terms from five to twenty-five years, inclusive of certain renewal options. Under those agreements, customers are provided the right to use a portion of the capacity of a fiber optic network, with the network owned and maintained by Quanta. Additionally, the Fiber Optic Licensing and Other segment provides lit services, with Quanta providing network management services to customers, as well as owning the electronic equipment necessary to make the fiber optic network operational. This segment serves customers in multiple institutional sectors, including communications carriers as well as education, financial services, healthcare and other business enterprises with high bandwidth telecommunication needs. The telecommunication services provided through this segment are subject to regulation by the Federal Communications Commission and certain state public utility commissions. The Fiber Optic Licensing and Other segment also provides various telecommunication infrastructure services on a limited and ancillary basis, primarily to Quanta’s customers in the electric power industry.

Acquisitions

During 2014, Quanta completed nine acquisitions, which enabled Quanta to further enhance its electric power and oil and gas infrastructure service offerings in the United States and Canada and expand its capabilities in Australia to include electric power infrastructure service offerings. These acquisitions included four electric power infrastructure services companies located in Canada; two oil and gas infrastructure services businesses located in Canada; an electric power infrastructure services company located in Australia; a U.S. based general engineering and construction company specializing in hydrant fueling, waterfront and utility construction for the U.S. Department of Defense that is generally included in Quanta’s Oil and Gas Infrastructure Services segment; and a geotechnical and geological engineering services company based in the United States that is generally included in Quanta’s Electric Power Infrastructure Services segment. During 2013, Quanta acquired six businesses, which included three electric power infrastructure services companies and three oil and gas infrastructure services companies based throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. During 2012, Quanta acquired four businesses, which included one electric power infrastructure services company based in Canada, two electric power infrastructure services companies based in the United States and one oil and gas infrastructure services company based in the United States.

Dispositions

On December 3, 2012, Quanta sold substantially all of its domestic telecommunications infrastructure services operations and related subsidiaries for net proceeds of approximately $265.0 million. Accordingly, Quanta has presented the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of such telecommunications subsidiaries as discontinued operations for all applicable periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. See Note 4 for more information.