Have you given much thought to our future engineers and technicians? Our PES sure has. I have talked with Pat Ryan the IEEE PES executive director and Tommy Mayne the executive director T&D North America and they are very passionate about the subject. Pat and Tommy are up to their necks in the student program. I just don’t know how they do it with all the other responsibilities they have.

Take a look at the student activities that are planned for the T&D Expo. They have mixers, sessions, breakfasts, networking, career guidance, the Collegiate?GOLD/Industry luncheon, and many more activities scheduled. Tommy told me that PES started a program to bring high schoolers to the Expo in New Orleans and had a great response. They didn’t what to let that pass, so they are doing it again in Orlando. At the last count, over 50 students were signed up! Those are high school students (in addition to all the college students). Pat and Tommy believe it really pays to get these kids started as early as possible.

Stop by the IEEE PES booth on teh exhibit floor and ask one of the folks there about these programs and the others PES is sponsoring to counter the brain-drain the industry is experiencing.

Have you ever looked at a piece of equipment and wondered what was on the inside? Have you ever wondered what the inside of a power transformer looks like? I have been inside of several large transformers doing inspections and it isn’t much fun. You have to dress in special cloths, there is oil on everything, you have to monitor for breathable air, and it is cramped, but it is very interesting. What if you could see all of that but without the above problems?

Well you can this year. And that is one of the exhibits I am really looking forward to at this year’s PES T&D Expo. My friends at Siemens tell me they have an interactive 3D tour of the insides of a transformer at their booth. I just love the way our suppliers are using new technologies to display products as never before.

I love all the models of equipment that will be on display. They also give us a chance to examine the workings of the equipment. There will also be the actual equipment with cut-away openings to allow us to see into them. this is going to be an educational event in every aspect. If you find something really cool, let me know.

We will be flying out soon for the big show! I can’t wait. I have been preparing for the PES T&D Expo for months. I have been talking with friends working on the conference. Folks designing displays. People dealing with the nuts and bolts of the Expo. And now there is about a week left until the door opens on the floor. Time really does fly, but there is so much left to do.

I hope you have gotten your reservations for airlines, hotels, rental cars, and the ton of other things needed to make this a memorable event. I really need a check list, but what fun is that.

When you think of conferences, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it crowds? For me it is volunteers and the PES events have the best! The volunteers make all the difference in the world. They are there to help you get around, offer information, and a ton of other services. They help at the buses, they man booths, they walk the halls looking for attendees with that lost look on their faces, and if you ever need assistance just ask.

Tommy Manye told me to look for the bright orange shirts (yes, I will have one too). Those shirts make the volunteers standout in the crowd. They call themselves the Sunshine Superconductors. The Orlando Local Organizing Committee (LOC) has two utilities hosting the event. Tommy said Aaron Staley from the Orlando Utilities Commission and Ray Desouza from Progress Energy are the C0-Chairs of the LOC and they have brought over 250 volunteers to make things run smoothly.

The LOC has also put together some impressive technical tours, which require a lot of volunteers by the way. The lightning research center really has my attention. As a substation engineer lightning protection is a subject close to me. The solar displace sounds super cool too. Be sure to checkout the schedule and sign up for a couple.

I have been a substation engineer for over 35 years. I know firsthand how substation and transmission engineers like to tease each other about the importance of the other’s specialty. Last year I wrote a series of articles on towers, poles and structures used in transmission and distribution work. That gave me a whole new understanding for this part of our industry. As a result, I can’t wait to hit the T&D Expo exhibit floor and get up close and personal with the line hardware.

I was talking with my friend Jim Palmer about the Thomas & Betts exhibit. He got me excited about hands-on demos they are planning. He lost me (day-dream time) when he started talking about a “quick-pin” demonstration. To a 7th degree black-belt, quick pin has a totally different definition than the average utility type has. Heck I can think of a half a dozen techniques to bring about a quick pin without trying.

Fortunately for me, Jim is a very patient person and he explained (in one words of one syllable) the cool innovation T&B had developed. It sounds pretty neat and I will have to see how it works for myself. If you want to find out what “Quick-Pin” means to a transmission structure, I suggest you join me in my wanderings or talk to Jim and his colleagues.