
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.
Episodes
32 episodes
The UVM Report - 2025
In this episode, Nick interviews Steve, to discuss his 2025 UVM report calling for a transformation in how utilities manage vegetation near power infrastructure. With over four decades of experience shaping industry standards and investigating ...
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37:22

30 | Ben Silverman, International Wildfire Risk Mitigation Consortium (IWRMC)
In this episode, Nick and Steve are joined by Ben Silverman. Ben is a Program Director at E-Source, who is one of the founding members of the International Wildfire Risk Mitigation Consortium (IWRMC). They begin by discussing the mission of the...
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28:46

29 | Dennis Fallon, Utility Arborist Association, Brian Eubanks, PG&E/ Saluting Branches
In this episode of the UVM Podcast, hosts Nick and Steve sit down with Dennis Fallon, Executive Director of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), to discuss the highly anticipated Trees & Utilities Conference. This year’s event will be he...
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35:20

28 | Utility Vegetation Management Institute, Larry Kahn, Tulane University Law School
In this episode, Steve is joined by a very special, and tough, guest co-host in Nick’s absence. The episode kicks off with Steve’s co-host sharing an update on all of the amazing work they have been doing since they last spoke. Once Steve and h...
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37:43

27 | Eric Brown, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
In today’s episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Nick and Steve are joined by industry thought leader Eric Brown, Manager of Grid Assets for Electric T&D Vegetation Management at Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Eric shares the ser...
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1:04:58

26 | Tim Walsh, The Davey Tree Expert Company
In this episode, Nick and Steve have the privilege of hosting Tim Walsh, a key member of the UVM industry with decades of experience and a passionate advocate for safety. Tim, a former president of the UAA and current VP of Health and Saf...
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54:11

25 | Jeremy Hayward, Redding Rancheria, Native American Tribe **CEUs available**
In an engaging podcast episode, Nick and Steve are joined by Jeremy Hayward, a member of the Redding Rancheria nation and President of the Redding Rancheria Economic Development Corporation (REDDCO). Jeremy also represents and speaks about the ...
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49:16

24 | Madelyn Anderson, Powerline Bushfire Safety Program, Victoria, Australia (part 2) **CEUs available**
Part 2In this episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Steve and Nick are joined by guest Madelyn Anderson, Senior Policy Officer of the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action in Victoria,...
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26:41

23 | Madelyn Anderson, Powerline Bushfire Safety Program, Victoria, Australia (part 1) **CEUs Available**
In this episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Steve and Nick are joined by guest Madelyn Anderson, Senior Policy Officer of the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action in Victoria, Australia. Th...
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47:32

22 | Electricity Canada, Dan Gent **CEUs Available**
In this podcast interview, Nick and Steve, hosts of The UVM Podcast, interview Dan Gent, Director of Transmission and Reliability at Electricity Canada, a national forum and voice of the evolving and innovative electricity business in Canada. D...
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43:55

21 | US vs. Europe: Response to the 2003 Blackouts, Lex Kumar
In the aftermath of the 2003 tree related blackouts, North America and Europe responded differently to the issue of regulating their electricity grids. North America adopted a highly regulated approach with clear standards and enforcement mecha...
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42:49

20 | Artificial Intelligence and Utility Vegetation Management **CEUs Available**
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) is revolutionizing the way we manage vegetation around power lines, and the benefits are nothing short of impressive. AI is capable of processing and analy...
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35:04

19 | Demarcation, Larry Kahn, Tulane University Law School **CEUs Available**
In this episode we discuss the “the demarcation issue” with Larry Kahn, the Distinguished Research Fellow at Tulane Law School’s UVMI. This is the second episode, in a planned series of discussions with Larry, where we hope to raise issues wort...
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23:05

18 | The Cradle Grave Asset Lifecycle (LiveEO, NV5 Geospatial, Planet)
What is the cradle to grave asset lifecycle, and how do different forms of remote sensing come into play? Is satellite the ‘silver bullet’ of the remote sensing world that will entirely replace LiDAR or is the picture more nuanced than that?&nb...
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1:05:53

17 | The Rule of 70, Larry Kahn, Visiting Research Fellow, Tulane University Law School
In this episode we discuss the “Rule of 70” with Larry Kahn, the Distinguished Research Fellow at Tulane Law School’s UVMI. This is the first episode, in a planned series of discussions with Larry, where we hope to raise issues worthy of consid...
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24:21

16 | Integrated Vegetation Management & ROW Stewardship, Lewis Payne, Manager ROW/ Environmental, New York Power Authority (NYPA) **CEUs Available**
In this episode (and at the suggestion of one of our subscribers- thanks Eric Owens at CNUC!) we interview Lewis Payne from the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the largest state-owned utility in the United States. Lewis (Lew) Payne is the Mana...
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47:33

15 | Eliecer Viamontes, President and CEO, Entergy Texas
In this episode we interview Eliecer Viamontes, the recently appointed President and CEO of Entergy Texas. Entergy serves about 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and they are no strangers to Utility Veget...
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33:53

14 | Steve Martin, Powerlink Queensland
In this episode we interview Steve Martin from Powerlink Queensland. Steve is the Senior Strategist for Land, Research and Development for Powerlink and works out of the greater Brisbane area of Australia. During this lively down-u...
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32:15

13 | Hydro One, Teri French, VP Forestry Services and Patrick Howe, Vegetation Management Front Line Manager
In this episode we interview Teri French, Vice President, Forestry Services, and Patrick Howe, Vegetation Management Front Line Manager at Hydro One. In this thoughtful discussion, Teri and Patrick talk about running an in-house UVM program in ...
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18:50

12 | Matt Palmer, Ergon Energy Network and Energex, part of the Energy Queensland group
In this episode we interview Matt Palmer, Vegetation Specialist - Standards, at Ergon Energy Network and Energex, part of the Energy Queensland group. Ergon Energy Network and Energex are distribution service providers that togethe...
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23:24

11 | Richard Hauer, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point **CEUs Available**
** 0.5 CEU credit from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) available to Utility Arborist Association members. Complete the questionnaire on the UAA website here. **<...
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27:12

10 | CEATI - Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation, Rob Young, Utility Vegetation Management Technical Advisor
Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI)This episode features an interview with Rob Young, Executive Director of the Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia, and Technical Advisor...
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26:18

09 | What should you expect if you are involved in a UVM lawsuit? **CEUs Available**
** 1 CEU credit from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is available to Utility Arborist Association members. Complete the questionnaire on the UAA website here. **...
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40:31

08 | Why do conductors sag and sway? Power Line Systems, Otto Lynch, President & CEO **CEUs Available**
** 0.5 CEU credit from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) available to Utility Arborist Association members. Complete the questionnaire on the UAA website here....
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23:35

07 | Seattle City Light, David Bayard, Vegetation Management
In this episode we interview David Bayard, the Vegetation Manager at Seattle City Light, the 10th largest publicly owned utility in the United States. With a job that includes oversight and involvement with both UVM and the municipal/urban fore...
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23:59
