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April 14, 2022

Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage Facility and Battery

Intended to help California reach its carbon reduction goals when completed in 2023, the Edwards Sanborn solar storage facility is expected to be the largest integrated solar-powered battery storage installation in the world! Terra-Gen, LLC, a leading independent renewable energy provider, is the project owner for the Edwards Sanborn solar storage facility and energy storage project, which is under construction on a 6,000-acre site in Kern County, California. Surety Bond Professionals is a family-owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your construction bond needs. The Goal for the Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage Facility The project involves the development of a PV solar facility and all the infrastructure to support it—service roads, transmission lines both above and below ground, a conversion station, solar arrays, substation, battery storage, operations and maintenance facilities, interconnecting power (“gen-tie”) lines, etc. It will provide clean energy for more than 158,000 households and keep at least 307,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year (the amount of CO2 from a comparable amount of traditionally generated electricity). The total estimated cost...

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April 14, 2022

U.S. – Mexico Border Wall

If there was ever a cautionary tale illustrating what can go wrong with a construction project, this is it—the US-Mexico border wall that was a major campaign promise and presidential goal of Donald Trump. Despite Trump’s insistence that Mexico would pay for the US-Mexico border wall, U.S. taxpayers paid for all construction work on the border wall. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign an executive order in January 2017 directing the federal government to begin work on the US-Mexico border wall using existing federal funding, but construction only started in June 2018. Upon his inauguration in 2021, President Biden halted all construction on the border wall. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your construction bond needs. Funding Issues for the US-Mexico Border Wall The Department of Homeland Security estimated the original cost of the border wall in early 2017 at $21.6 billion, with a construction timeframe of 3.5 years. By December 2020, the total funding allocated for new barrier construction was about $15 billion, but...

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April 14, 2022

Amazing Construction Projects to Watch in 2022

There are few achievements that demonstrate human ingenuity and accomplishment as impressively as the feats of engineering, architecture, and construction projects that house businesses, link cities, and transform skylines throughout the nation. Major construction projects bring together an amazing collection of talent, skills, knowledge, and resources and require a high degree of coordination and oversight to make all the moving parts mesh to produce the desired outcome. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your construction bond needs. Construction Projects To the average person, the size of the capital investment involved is mind-boggling, and there is always the risk of financial loss stemming from delays, errors, and all sorts of unforeseen events. For example, look at the cost of each of these construction projects currently underway or slated to launch in 2022.  Amazon HQ2—Arlington, Virginia, $2.5 billion + Amazon’s highly publicized search for an east coast home for its second headquarters, dubbed Amazon HQ2, ultimately resulted in a plan for construction on two sites in Arlington, Virginia. Buffalo Bills Stadium—Buffalo,...

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April 14, 2022

Performance Bonds for Private Construction

Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your construction bond needs. What Are Performance Bonds? Performance bonds are surety bonds commonly used in the construction industry to protect project owners against the risk of default by contractors who cannot complete a job under contractual requirements. A performance bond transfers that risk from the project owner to a “surety,” typically an insurance company or division of an insurance company. Surety bonding dates back over 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonians and has developed over the millennia to its current form. Since 1893, law has mandated performance bonds for federally funded projects. Under the Miller Act of 1932, performance bonds and payment bonds are required for all federal construction contracts valued in excess of $100,000. At the state level, similar legislation, commonly referred to as “Little Miller Acts,” requires both performance and payment bonds for state-funded public works projects. Today, performance bonds, once exclusively used in taxpayer-funded construction, are increasingly required by private construction project owners. Why Are Performance Bonds Now Being Required...

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February 15, 2022

How to Get a Lottery Agent License in Arkansas

Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your lottery bond needs. How Do I Get a Lottery Agent License? If you are interested in becoming an Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) retailer, you’ll need to call ASL Sales at 501-683-1884 or Retailer Licensing at 501-978-3950 to obtain an application. What Does the Licensing Process Involve? The application package includes several forms that must be filled out and submitted for the application to be considered complete—a landlord approval form, record check form, fingerprint verification form, and electronic funds transfer form. In addition to completing and submitting an application, applicants for a retail lottery license in Arkansas must either be approved to participate in the ASL’s Self-Bond program or obtain a surety bond or deposit interest-bearing or accruing securities with the ASL. ASL will let every applicant know whether or not they are eligible for the self-bonding option, which involves a $50 per month payment to ASL for each of the retailer’s locations. If a surety bond is required, ASL will inform the...

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December 12, 2021

Hawaii Auto Dealer License Guide

Hawaii Auto Dealer License Guide In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to get a Hawaii car dealer license. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. Our expert agents are ready to assist with all your Hawaii car title bonds needs. What Are the Different Types of Hawaii Auto Dealer Licenses? The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division, licenses all the state’s motor vehicle dealers. However, the license types and licensing procedures vary depending on whether the dealer will be operating in Honolulu County or on another island. The three main categories are new vehicle dealers, used vehicle dealers, and auction dealers, with the new and used vehicle categories subdivided into licenses for Honolulu dealers and licenses for dealers on other islands. Auction dealer licenses are the same for all islands.  This article focuses on the most common license type—Honolulu licenses for used vehicle dealers.    What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process? You can download the application for a Hawaii used vehicle dealer license, which includes instructions for completing it and a checklist of required documents. Among those...

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November 8, 2021

Delaware Contractor License Requirements

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to understand the Delaware contractor license requirements. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. Our expert agents are ready to assist with all your contractor licensing needs. What Are Different Types of Delaware Contractor Licenses? In Delaware, the state’s Department of Revenue issues contractor licenses. All general contractors working in Delaware, both resident and nonresident, need to register with the Delaware Division of Revenue. However, they do not need licensing at the state level.  Only contractors who do not maintain a regular place of business in Delaware need to obtain a general contractor license.  However, several municipalities have their own licensing requirements for general contractors. You’ll need to find out what licensing requirements exist in the areas where you do business. Contact us for further assistance. What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process? Local licensing requirements vary, but applicants for a general contractor license at the state or local level typically need to: Register with the Department of Labor Purchase Workers’ Compensation insurance if they have employees Apply for a business license Purchase a contractor’s license bond (non-resident...

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November 7, 2021

Hawaii Contractor License Requirements

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to understand Hawaii’s contractor license requirements. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. Our expert agents are ready to assist with all your contractor licensing needs. What Are the Different Types of Hawaii Contractor Licenses? Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division has a Contractor Licensing Board who issues three main types of contractor licenses, with multiple subtypes. General engineering contractor General building contractor Specialty contractor What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process? Contractor licensing requirements include: Registering your business with DCCA’s Business Registration Division (BREG) unless you’re a sole proprietor, in which case you need provide only your social security number Providing a compiled, reviewed, or audited financial statement no more than 12 months old with a report from an independent accountant Furnish a complete 5 year credit report  For a business that’s more than one years old, you must provide a current Hawaii State Tax Clearance issued within the last six months Documentation showing at least four years of experience as a construction supervisor For sole proprietors, passing the Hawaii...

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November 6, 2021

Colorado Contractor License Requirements

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to understand the Colorado contractor license requirements. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. Our expert agents are ready to assist with all your contractor licensing needs. What Are the Different Types of Colorado Contractor Licenses? Colorado is one of the few states in which it does not license general contractors at the state level. They may, however, need a local license or permit in the municipalities where they work.  There are several classes of general contractor licenses in Colorado, the most commonly required one’s being: Class A which are combination vehicles. These vehicles have a gross combination weight rating or GCWR of 26,001lbs or more. Class B which are trucks and light combinations. These too must have a GCWR of 26,001lbs or more, or be any towing vehicle that is not less than 10,000lbs.  Class C vehicles are less than 26,001lbs and are a single vehicle. OR combination of vehicles that don’t meet the definition of A or B, however, these must transport 16 or more passengers (driver included). OR they placarded the vehicle for carrying hazardous material. ...

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November 5, 2021

Wyoming Car Dealer License Guide

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to get a Wyoming car dealer license. Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. Our expert agents are ready to assist with all your Wyoming car dealer license bond needs. Different Types of Wyoming Vehicle Dealer Licenses Wyoming’s Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Services, issues dealer licenses in four categories:  Dealers selling new vehicles Dealers selling fewer than 12 used vehicles a year Dealers selling 12 or more used vehicles per year The manufacturers.  The process is much the same when applying for a license in any of these categories. What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process? In preparation for completing and submitting an application for a Wyoming car dealer license you will need to: Register your dealership with the IRS and the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office and obtain a Wyoming sales tax number. Secure a permanent location for your dealership and receive zoning approval. Have your fingerprints taken by your local law enforcement agency. Purchase a $35,000 Wyoming car dealer bond. Refer to the WYDOT checklist for a complete list of application requirements. You’ll need to...

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