The Utility Vegetation Management Podcast
Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) is a rapidly growing multi-billion dollar a year industry employing tens of thousands of people. UVM is the largest operational expense in most electric utilities and frequently the largest driver of system reliability and outage management. In recent years, climate change, wildfires, storms and Public Safety Power Shutoffs have brought the industry into mainstream news. Several groups including government, regulators, utilities, contractors, industry and the public are now active stakeholders and contribute to the public debate. Despite high levels of concern and interest in the subject matter, communications on the topic have been restricted to traditional media outlets. The UVM Podcast is the first of its kind. It aims to directly insert itself in the public conversation as a 21st Century medium to discuss and address the challenges that face us all. The podcast is hosted by Stephen Cieslewicz, an internationally recognized expert in UVM, and Nick Ferguson, a Tech Sector leader specializing in Utility Vegetation Management.
The Utility Vegetation Management Podcast
04 | Liberty Utilities, Jason Grossman, Manager, Vegetation Management **CEUs available**
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Liberty Utilities is an operating company of Algonquin Power, serving over 1 million customers across 13 US States and 1 Canadian Province with some $6.8BN in regulated utility assets.
On this episode, our guest is Jason Grossman, Manager - Vegetation Management at Liberty Utilities (Missouri). In this discussion, Jason will cover:
- How he got started in Utility Vegetation Management
- The impact of ice storms on the grid and the role of vegetation management in response efforts
- The role of the Missouri Public Service Commission in setting funding requirements
- Liberty Utilities (Missouri) reliability statistics vs. benchmarks (SAIDI, SAIFI)
- Integrated Vegetation Management and responsible stewardship
- New technology and the impact of this on the Liberty Utilities (Missouri) VM program
This is the first utility interview published by The UVM Podcast. If you have any feedback on the episode or suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, please feel free to get in contact at podcast@utilityvegetationmanagement.com.
CEU Quiz here.