Leadership Changes on the ASCE/SEI Committee of Electrical Transmission Structures

Wesley J. (Wes) Oliphant, P.E., has accepted an appointment as Chairman of the ASCE/SEI Committee of Electrical Transmission Structures.  He succeeds Mr. Ron Carrington, P.E. who will remain on the committee as the immediate past Chairman of the Committee.  Otto Lynch has also been appointed and accepted a new opportunity to serve as Vice Chairman during this new term.

The important purpose of the ASCE/SEI Committee of Electrical Transmission Structures, is to organize and foster development of continuing education programs, as well as develop important technical publications needed to continue to advance the available body of knowledge for Civil/Structural Engineers working in the electric utility industry.  These include Engineering Standards, Manuals of Practice, Guides, Reports, White Papers, etc..  Why is this work important?  It has been said that the electric power grid in the USA is “the largest, most complex, machine ever designed by man”. Few can argue that every critical infrastructure system essential to minimizing societal and economic disruption, and allowing modern society to efficiently function, is dependent on a reliable, cost effective supply of electrical power.  In supporting this critical infrastructure work, the ASCE/SEI Committee of Electrical Transmission Structures plays an important role among the many Civil/Structural Engineers working in the Utility Industry while also supporting and overlapping with several other technical communities both inside and outside of ASCE/SEI.  The Committee also has a role providing technical background information from time to time that may be needed for various inquiries important to the Industry and to the Public.

Whether new to this industry, or a long-termer, this is a great time to think about volunteering your time, enthusiasm, and experience to add to the body of knowledge this technical community depends on.  Within the next 12-18 months, several task committees within the Committee of Electrical Transmission Structures (CETS) will be nearing completion of their work.  Opportunities will thus be available to join new task committee activities to continue technical improvements and updates to these important efforts.  New task committee activities are also in the works.  So please provide any suggestions and stay tuned when announcements will be made for signup for these opportunities.  The giving of your knowledge and expertise through participation on a CETS Task Committee is one of the most satisfying and best ways to become more valuable to your organizations all the while providing the industry with an important technical foundation from which more reliable Transmission, Distribution, and Substation structures can be designed, constructed, and maintained.   For more information contact either Wes or Otto at the email address below.

Wesley J. (Wes) Oliphant, P.E., is a Principal, and the Chief Technical Officer of Exo Group, LLC, an infrastructure asset inspection and remediation firm near Houston, Texas. In 2010, Wes was the recipient ASCE/SEI’s Gene Wilhoite Award for his contributions and body of work related to the design of electric transmission line structures. He is a Life Member and Fellow of ASCE, and a charter member and Fellow of the SEI. He is also a member of the IEEE and a representative of that organization on Subcommittee 5 (Strengths & Loadings) of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Wes can be reached at: woliphant@exoinc.com

Otto J. Lynch, P.E., is President & CEO of Power Line Systems, the developers of the Industry Standard overhead line design softtware PLS-CADD based in Madison, Wisconsin. Otto is a Fellow of ASCE and a Fellow of the SEI. He was honored to receive ASCE/SEI’s Gene Wilhoite Innovations in Transmission Engineering Award in 2012. He is a member of numerous ASCE, IEEE, and ANSI committees involving overhead line design and analysis. He is a voting member of the National Electrical Safey Code (NESC) Subcommittee 5 (Strengths & Loadings) as well as the Main Committee. Otto can be reached at: otto@powline.com

Get Started with Exo

Ready to Work With Us?