2019 Improving Right of Way Processes for Electric Transmission Projects

September 23-24, 2019 | Columbus, OH

Managing new and upgraded transmission projects in the public right of way (ROW) is an increasingly complex and challenging process. Electric utilities and transmission developers must balance the competing interests of all stakeholders. Special attention is required at every stage of the process to ensure that reliability and capacity objectives are met while also serving the best interests of landowners, government officials, and customers. The stakes are high – the success of the project and the reputation of your organization are on the line.

At the 9th Annual Improving Right of Way for Electric Transmission Projects conference, you will hear leading ROW experts discuss proven strategies and best practices to efficiently and effectively navigate the right of way process. You will receive updates on evolving right of way trends impacting the planning, design, acquisition, valuation, and management of electricity transmission projects. Some of the specific topics that will be discussed are: easement dispute settlements, lessons gleamed from navigating ROW in multiple states and ROW case studies. Attendees will gain knowledge that will assist them in their day-to-day work and have real-world applications.

Learning Outcomes

Discuss how ROW disputes often arise and how to settle or resolve disputes
Review some appropriate solutions for ROW access and its obstacles
List the challenges with consistency in ROW projects American Electric Power has in eleven states
Describe the role of ROW services within EPC contracts and that project delivery process
Engage in a panel discussion on the myriad of ROW challenges facing electric transmission owners
Expand on how Lincoln Electric System is reclaiming its HVTL corridors of obstructions and vegetation
Discuss how Ameren initiates negotiations with landowners and the entire process for both gas and electric transmission projects
Examine how utilities can structure their ROW Management environmental programs and the opportunities that exist to reduce regulatory risk

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.9 CEUs for this event and 0.4 CEUs for the workshop.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the conference to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations, and group discussion will be used in this event.

Agenda

Monday, September 23, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.:: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 a.m.:: Introductions

8:45 – 9:20 a.m. :: Welcome and Keynote

Daniel Rogier, Vice President Asset Strategy & Policy, AEP Transmission

9:20 – 10:20 a.m. :: Challenges with Right of Way Projects Across Eleven States

American Electric Power operates transmission in eleven states and therefore has encountered numerous challenges in doing ROW projects. This presentation will detail AEP’s learning curve and solutions to some of the challenges such as consistency in projects across the states. As one company, consistency in the process is critical from estimating projects, assessing risk and on through to condemnation and/or regulatory approvals.

Thomas Schaffer, Right-of-Way Manager, AEP Transmission

10:20 – 10:50 a.m. :: Networking Break

10:50 – 11:50 a.m. :: Obstacles with ROW Access and Appropriate Solutions

ROW access has been fraught with many obstacles such as landowner perceptions, agricultural access, wetlands and permitting. Solutions utilizing alternatives such has composite matting and turnkey access have proven to mitigate many of these obstacles. Case Studies will be discussed.

Joe Goodhew, Director T&D, Newpark Mats and Integrated Services

11:50 – 1:00 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. :: Regulatory Implications of ROW Management – The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA)

Utilities face the challenge of maintaining their Rights-of-Way to ensure reliability while also reducing their exposure and risk under several environmental regulations, such as Section 7 of the ESA and the MBTA. This interactive presentation will look at how utilities structure their ROW Management programs and the opportunities that exist to reduce regulatory risk.

Dan Belin AICP, Principal, Energy Business Line, Ecology and Environment, Inc.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. :: EPC Contract and Delivery Basics – ROW Services Role

This presentation will explore the basics of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracting and ROW services role in EPC projects. More and more public utilities are turning to an EPC project delivery model as they upgrade and/or expand their existing grid systems and infrastructure. An EPC contractor will hold the project construction contract with the owner, providing the owner with a single point of responsibility for services related to design, procurement and construction, and can offer numerous benefits including cost savings, increased flexibility and faster delivery. There are multiple forms of EPC contracting mechanisms. The best approach depends on the Owner’s preference of involvement and can vary from project to project.

Land rights objectives and associated deliverables are key elements to identify and prioritized in order to maintain an EPC project’s budget and critical path schedule. Many project activities, beginning with early ownership determinations and right-of-entry (ROE) activities during the design and permitting phases are dependent on early and accurate data collection, along with gaining landowner input and cooperation. ROW serves as the “common thread” by supporting critical activities throughout the project’s lifecycle. Beginning with preliminary landownership determinations and land use reviews, early landowner engagement and ROE’s in support of the permitting and design phases, then on to full scale land rights acquisitions, construction support, and restoration and damage settlements, we can provide the expert coordination of a land rights program.

Aimie Mims, SR/WA, R/W-AMC, R/W-NAC, HDR Minnesota/Wisconsin Right of Way Services Lead

James Prossick, SR/WA, HDR Vice President Right of Way Services

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. :: Networking Break

3:30 – 4:45 p.m. :: Panel Discussion: Challenges Facing Electrical Transmission Right of Ways

Join in this engaging panel discussion on the myriad of challenges facing electric transmission owners right of ways with lessons learned and methods that have worked in improving their efforts with landowners and the community.

James Prossick, SR/WA, Vice President Right of Way Services, HDR

Thomas Schaffer, Right-of-Way Manager, AEP Transmission

Shana Sprackling, Manager – Land Management, Lincoln Electric System (LES)

Kimberly Gross, R/W-NAC, Agent, Real Estate Department, Ameren Services

4:45 – 5:45 p.m. :: Networking Reception

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. :: Right of Way Assurance Overview

This presentation will provide an overview of the purpose of the program, how Lincoln Electric System is reclaiming its HVTL corridors of obstructions and vegetation, HVTL’s included within this year’s program, progress made, and lessons learned, and landowner considerations and incentives.

Shana Sprackling, Manager – Land Management, Lincoln Electric System

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. :: ROW Project Management: Navigating Certificated Transmission Projects in Various States

This presentation will discuss the condemnation procedure and its impact on landowner negotiations with specific case study examples on projects located in Texas, Illinois and Indiana. It will take focus on the geographical differences that impact landowner negotiation strategies as well as the state specific condemnation procedures which impact the acquisition process. We will walk specifically, from beginning to end, through a certificated process from its inception and routing, through condemnation and eventual take of the property in each of these three states. By the end of the presentation, a better understanding will be had about how to initiate negotiations with landowners on certificated lines as well as some strategies to navigate the entire process and will include both gas and electric transmission projects.

Kimberly Gross, R/W-NAC, Agent, Real Estate Department, Ameren Services

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. :: Networking Break

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. :: Settling Disputes Over Property Easements Q&A

This interactive Q&A session will discuss the context in which disputes arise and how to settle or resolve disputes and lessons learned from the process.

Shana Sprackling, Manager – Land Management, Lincoln Electric System

Thomas G St Pierre, Associate General Counsel, American Electric Power

11:45 a.m. :: Adjournment

Workshop

The Right of Way Process and Project Lifecycle – From Siting to Energization

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. :: Workshop Registration

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. :: Workshop Timing

Overview

Right of Way is the common thread that binds successful projects together through establishing and maintaining landowner relations from the first line on the map to poles in the ground. This workshop will explore proven methods of keeping your transmission projects on schedule through appropriate integration of right of way services into the overall project team structure and explore working relations with environmental, public involvement, engineering and construction services. The development of appropriate team structures and procedures will be explored along with a multi scenario interactive schedule building exercise to help participants gain a better understanding of how right of way services fits into the overall development cycle on successful projects. Examples of how landowner relations can be improved through early assimilation of right of way services into your team that can be translated into public opinion, schedule and cost benefits will be discussed along with how this is carried through project construction with a sound construction liaison and damage settlement plan. We will also examine the acute importance of the Project Owner and Consultants working together to assist the Agencies in understanding the schedule complexities and importance of meeting energization and financial targets for these highly competitive projects.

Join this interactive workshop to learn how best to leverage right of way services on your project team to keep property acquisitions off the critical path and minimize landowner project opposition and routing changes. In this workshop, you will gain a holistic understanding of how right of way services fits into your project team and the project lifecycle and how successful implementation of this approach will build and maintain landowner relations while keeping your project on schedule and on the right side of public opinion.

Workshop Agenda / Learning Outcomes

Assess right of way services, its importance to project goals and how it relates to other critical project team disciplines
Examine typical team organizational charts and cross discipline procedure with recommendations for alternate approaches and improvements through implementation of an integrated project team.
Discuss how best to leverage right of way services to improve landowner outreach and identify and mitigate landowner concerns early in the project lifecycle
Participate in a team building exercise where groups work jointly to develop a right of way schedule for several different project scenarios followed by a group discussion.
Evaluate the important role of a right of way liaison during project construction to control costs and delays and in maintaining landowner trust

Instructors

Aimie Mims, SR/WA, R/W-AMC, R/W-NAC, Minnesota/Wisconsin Right of Way Services Lead, HDR

Aimie is the current International President of the International Right of Way Association. She is an HDR Right of Way Project Manager and Team Lead with broad experience in the full complement of land rights tasks associated with transportation infrastructure and energy corridor projects. With a thorough understanding of the progression of project siting, permitting, and land rights tasks and how those activities are interrelated with coincident project design and construction activities, Aimie has developed a focused view of how best to keep the land rights program on schedule and in accord with the Client’s acquisition guidelines. Aimie builds strong relationships with team members and communicates well with project staff and landowners. Aimie has experience in all facets of statutory and non-statutory acquisition programs, including ownership vesting, landowner outreach, conflict resolution, ROE and ROW negotiations, and restoration and damage settlements. Aimie is also well versed in HDR’s technology tools with a clear understanding of the important role that accurate document storage reporting and forecasting hold for transportation and energy corridor projects.

James Prossick, SR/WA, Vice President Right of Way Servicesd, HDR

Jim Prossick has over 38 years in the ROW field, with the last fifteen spent as a Section and WA Area Manager for HDR working on a wide variety of projects throughout the United States. He is a senior project manager and licensed appraiser who has collaborated with engineering, environmental, and permitting disciplines to site numerous linear projects by providing detailed ROW analysis, landowner and title research, ROW cost estimates, and customized ROW work plans and schedules. In addition to planning services, Jim also assembles successful ROW teams delivering title research, valuation, acquisition, and closing services for linear projects in WA and throughout the US.

Robert Woodard, Illinois/Indiana Right of Way Services Leadd, HDR

Robert Woodard has over 20 years of experience in the electrical utility and construction industries and has participated in several large scale projects throughout his career. He has held positions ranging from Project Management to Senior Management at NV Energy, Southern California Edison and Tishman Construction. During his time in the electrical utility industry, he supported the acquisition of land rights and permits needed for the construction of major transmission lines in southern Nevada and southern California. He also participated in the initial Master Agreement between NV Energy and the Bureau of Land Management which now serves as a way for other utilities to expedite federal land permits. Some more notable projects he has participated in include the City Center and Echelon casino projects in Las Vegas and more recently the 500kv underground project in Chino Hills, CA