Timothy D. Berringer, P.E. Electrical Engineer & Electric Utilities Expert

Professional Experience

Provide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving various aspects of electric power including, but not limited to:

• The National Electrical Code and National Electrical Safety Code, OSHA and industry safety practices
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70B (Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance) and 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace)
• Underground and overhead transmission and distribution lines and cables, transformers, circuit breakers, panelboards, switchgear, reclosers, sectionalizers, contactors, relays, fuses, capacitors, uninterruptable power supplies, inductors, electric motors, variable frequency drives, motor controllers, motor soft starts, emergency generators, short circuit analysis, protection coordination, system load flow, grounding, substation design and operation, transmission and distribution design, tower and pole design, system reliability and failure analysis
• Distribution and cogeneration plant design and utility interconnection including solar, tidal turbine, micro-turbine, fuel cell, and internal combustion
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to include power line carrier, wireless, and digital technologies and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) mesh and cellular networks
• Safety of electrical systems including, engineering controls, lock out tag out procedures, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), shocks, electrocutions, electrical arcing, fires due to electrical faults, and public safety
• Union negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) including identifying electrical safety aspects of performing work safely and per industry standards
• Operations and safety, machinery operation manuals, machinery safety manuals, workplace safety, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), warnings, labeling
• Electrocution and electrical shock injuries
• Lighting requirements for railroad yards
• Electrical designs for railroad yards and the demarcation of the signal system
• Nuclear, coal, diesel, propane, and natural gas powerplant system and equipment design/configuration for operations and safety
• Storm aftermath recovery methods to safely facilitate the rebuilding of the electrical system

• Directed all facets of the electric division
• Directed staff and consultants consisting of engineers, contractors, linemen, union, and nonunion personnel
• Developed standards and procurement specifications
• Created a company awareness of how other utilities have tackled problems and lent insight to funding sources
• Responsible for the strategic and tactical electrical approaches
• Selected as the representative for the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) Board of Governors
• Developed a team that submitted three Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) grants
• Initiated an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) upgrade for electric and water
• Instituted a new way to build reliability and resiliency with new transmission lines, substations, and distribution connections
• Generated a new safety culture by introducing the linepersons to federal, state and local safety/training laws and regulations
• Worked with members of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Energy (DOE) to build a more resilient and reliable electric system. This included a 75MW solar system and a 100MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
• Executed design calculations for new services, wire/cable, transformer sizing, secondary power distribution, and determining protective devices
• Worked on expanding the pole and infrastructure inspection program to ensure compliance with the State of California

• Directed all facets of the electric and natural gas divisions
• Directed staff and consultants consisting of engineers, contractors, linemen, procurement staff, natural gas technicians, mechanics, union, and nonunion personnel
• Led the weekly safety meetings
• Responsible for Federal Government reporting requirements
• Developed standards and procurement specifications
• Managed the fleet and facilities (including the company owned residential properties and hotel for consultants/contractors)
• Worked with an intern to inform utility of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and initiated a cleanup plan to bring the utility into compliance
• Generated plans to fully inspect all electric and natural gas facilities – this initiative would be the first for the utility

• Leading a team of 50 engineering, material and Geographic Information System (GIS) personnel
• Directed staff and consultants consisting of engineers, project managers, technicians, material specialists, Right-of-Way (ROW) and mapping personnel
• Responsible for the creation and execution of large-scale development contracts, easements, warehouse management, engineering standards, processes and procedures
• Implemented perpetual savings dealing with transformers
• Created a specialized training program for personnel
• Headed a cross functional team to address positional and financial disparity within the cooperative
• Developed a top/down metrics system and succession plan
• Initiated six continuous improvement teams for better success

• Worked with ANEC members, ODEC and PJM (the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in 13 states)
• Directed a staff of engineers, mapping and operational personnel
• Responsible for safety, planning, contracts, standards, and facilities
• Oversaw consultants, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), GIS, AMI and construction units
• Main decision-maker for solar farms being installed
• Sized transformers and cables for generators
• Negotiated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to create a multiyear contract
• Developed new processes to execute closing aging work orders
• Presented to the Board of Directors the plan for a new substation
• Worked with NASA and the United States Navy on multimillion-dollar projects which included a 12MW solar farm and an enhanced transmission and substation system (involves PJM)
• Created a specialized training program for a new substation group
• Implemented for the staff and attended NEC training through a national training company, NTT – this training covered design of sizing transformers, services, feeders, branch circuits, and protective devices – the training also covered NFPA 70E (selecting proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while working near energized equipment)
• Worked with Osmose on determining pole integrity and developed an action plan for pole replacement
• Developed an action plan to have the wood poles evaluated every 10 years

• Directed staff of managers, engineers, and operational personnel
• Oversaw consultants, Right-of-Way (ROW), fleet, locators, and contractors
• Enacted policy and procedures for vegetation management
• Responsible for facilities
• Introduced DEMCO to performance coaching and assessment
• Created a new project construction team
• Initiated new construction methods and a process to evaluate alternative materials
• Developed new processes and procedures that saved $4 million
• Actively investigated an electrical incident involving an employee
• Collaborated with employees to improve the safety culture
• Performed root cause analysis on safety incidents
• Developed SMART goals to increase measurable improvements
• Enacted survey for 100+ employees to assess current conditions
• Reviewed electrical designs of proposed remodel work due to flooding
• Responsible for determining wood pole failures and preserving evidence of failures for expected future litigation
• Lead person for incidents representing the utility
• Developed an action plan to assess poles via Osmose or Rams and established a rotating 10-year evaluation cycle

• Involved with natural gas contract development and execution for an area covering Texas to the Canadian border
• Directed staff of managers, engineers, designers and contractors to ensure the Department of Transportation (DOT) laws were followed which included Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulations
• Managed a natural gas budget of over $40M
• Developed an engineering resource plan to convert 61 contract positions to direct; generated over $400k savings annually
• Led project development, execution and commissioning
• Replaced the natural gas SCADA system which was a two-and-a-half-year project with no change orders and on schedule
• Consistently kept communications open between the project team, project sponsor, facility owners, operators and customers
• Took the lead on a comprehensive safety and technical training program for engineering and other departments
• Planning Chief of the National Incident Management System
• Head electrical manager at MidAmerican Energy’s coal plant before being promoted to Northern Natural Gas
• Oversaw the in-house electrical team’s designs of new facilities/buildings
• Performed factory audits of switchgear/panelboard manufacturers

• Worked with the first university that functioned with 100% renewable energy
• Managed the entire staff, contractors, and consultants
• Responsible for design, construction, maintenance, training, safety, and budget for the complete Edmond Electrical system
• Initiated new roles at Edmond Electric which included power transformer specification development, vendor selection, consultant selection, and negotiation for the new substation
• Developed a team of linemen to address their critical issues
• Board Member of the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma
• Board Member of the Oklahoma Municipal Utility Services Authority Board
• Active participant in the Edmond Chamber of Commerce
• Volunteered to be part of the Edmond zoning meetings
• Active in the downtown business development association
• Introduced several new concepts that saved $500k

• Reviewed and directed changes to the consultant’s electrical and fire detection/control design of Union Pacific Railroad’s new headquarters building in Omaha, Nebraska. The facility is a state of the art 20 story building with 1.3 million square feet and cost approximately $250 million to design and construct
• Initiated and developed an electric utility program to oversee power contracts and monitor utility bills covering 23 states
• Responsible for all aspects of projects which included justification, design, construction, commissioning, documentation, and turnover to operations – following the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) laws
• Generated and implemented vendor evaluation and selection, contract approach, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, and contract administration for projects across the railroad system
• Led a team that focused on change order management resulting in only two change orders for over 400 annual projects
• Managed approximately 125 personnel (salary, union staff, and contractors)
• Provided leadership by developing engineering design and construction standards to be utilized across the system
• Reduced the cost of the purchase and installation of lighting equipment by more than 50 percent saving over $2M per year by developing standards and procurement specifications
• Designed a new lighting system for the Dispatch office – each person could control the level of lighting installed in the ceiling above their individual desk
• Responsible for several different capital and O&M budgets
• Generated a revolving five/ten-year capital expenditure plan
• Developed an electrical safety team which included personnel from many departments and locations throughout the railroad
• Developed a process to address arc flash, NFPA 70E, OSHA
• Surveyed employees systematically for areas of improvement
• Designed and reviewed consultant designs of hundreds of facilities which included railroad office buildings across 23 states
• Performed factory audits associated with lighting and electrical materials
• Responsible for the strategic and tactical electrical approaches
• Executed design calculations for new services, wire/cable, transformer sizing, secondary power distribution, and determining protective devices
• Ensured the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) standards were followed
• Investigated/supported the research into electrocutions, and electrical contact incidents
• Responsible for 23 states of vegetation management
• Lead person for any electrical incidents involving the railroad
• Developed plans for pole replacement at numerous facilities and removal of hundreds of nonutilized poles (some of these poles were utilized for old signal wiring which became obsolete)

• Supervised engineering staff, union personnel, and projects which included Bunge’s new plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa – designed and oversaw the construction of the electrical distribution system
• Developed/presented data to management and other agencies
• Responsible for the electrical expertise for southwest Iowa
• Managed the substation personnel and maintenance issues
• Initiated distribution engineering and operating guidelines
• Recommended safety practices based on the National Electrical Code (NEC) and National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)
• Led team after severe snowstorm to perform vegetation removal and extreme clearing to support vegetation management
• Worked on emergency calls, conducted field visits to determine the condition of wood poles, and if necessary, their replacement

• Developed long-term plans for cities greater than 5,000
• Devised an alternate approach to the planning of cities which reduced the study time length by more than two-thirds
• Performed research on voltage requirements/optimization
• Technical advisor on planning guidelines
• Researched and developed NPPD’s standard on voltage flicker which other local power companies later adopted
• Responsible for defining material statements, certification, and testing requirements
• Functioned as a technical advisor on an audit team during an on-site inspection of a vendor in Houston, Texas
• Worked as a safety/system engineer at Nebraska Public Power District’s Cooper Nuclear Station for over three years
• Actively developed specifications and requirements as a procurement engineer while working at the power plant
• Performed engineering functions, including system operations, modifications, and maintenance, as a plant engineer, ensured the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) laws were followed

Professional Credentials

Professional Engineer: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin

Education

B.S., Electrical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

A.A.S., Electronic Technology, Southwestern Community College, Creston, Iowa

Professional Memberships

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - active member

Volunteer Activities

• Annual paint-a-thon of houses in Omaha, Nebraska for the less fortunate
• Volunteer for various STEM initiatives
• Assisted with grade school programs such as Mathcounts
• United Way bridge builder and Relay for Life supporter/volunteer
• Coached youth sports: baseball and soccer
• Taught electrical farm safety for the Iowa Extension Office

v. 04/2/26