Wood utility poles have served for more than a century as the backbone to the North American electrical distribution system. While new technologies for overhead systems have emerged, the proven performance of wood utility poles has secured their position as the preferred choice for utilities.
The POWERLINE 2021 conference will review new developments and recognized best practices for wood pole overhead systems. The one-day conference feature insights on national wood pole standards, pole preservatives, poles and the environment, sustainable overhead design and maintenance and remediation.
Conference overview
The conference will be held Aug. 11 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. It is sponsored by the North American Wood Pole Council.
The program will include classroom presentations and time with presenters. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided for attendees.
Who should attend
Attending POWERLINE 2021 will be beneficial for utility personnel at all levels who are involved with design, purchasing, installation, management and maintenance of the electrical distribution and transmission systems. This includes:
- Design engineers
- Systems executives
- Pole purchasing managers
- Operations and engineering managers
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- Line staking engineers
- Utility contractors
- Asset/Investment recovery specialists
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Each registered attendee will receive a certificate of completion for 8 hours of instruction, which can be used to qualify for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits. All attendees will receive links to view digital versions of the presentations, a selection of NAWPC technical guides on a USB drive and a copy of ANSI O5.1-2017 Wood Poles, Specifications and Dimensions (select during registration).
Program schedule
Conference headquarters will be at the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis.
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Wednesday, Aug. 11
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| 7 a.m. |
Continental breakfast |
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| 8 a.m. |
Welcome
Rubin Schmulsky, Mississippi State University
National Wood Pole Standards
Nelson Bingel, chair, NESC and ASC O5
Wood Poles and the Environment
Butch Bernhardt, North American Wood Pole Council
Panel: Today's Wood Pole Preservatives
CCA - Tim Carey, Lonza Wood Protection
Copper Naphthenate - Jeff Lloyd, Nisus Corp.
Creosote - Heath Huschak, Koppers, Inc.
DCOI - Bob Baeppler, Viance, LLC
Penta - Kevin Ragon, SPTA
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| Noon |
Lunch |
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| 1 p.m. |
Sustainable Overhead Design
Martin Rollins, H.M. Rollins Compay, Inc.
Performance of Pole Remediation Treatments
Gerald Presley, Oregon State University
Structural Health and System Resiliency
Spencer Loe, Osmose Utilities Service
Quality Control & Inspection of Wood Utility Products
Will Cox, Wood Quality Control, Inc./NRECA and James Donnie Parker, Timber Products Inspection
Scan, Cut, & Track from Stump to Install
Brad Brewer, Pole Mill Optimizer
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Registration
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Unfortunately, there will be no registration available at the conference. Please contact us at info@woodpoles.org for any questions.
Hotel accommodations
The Peabody Hotel will serve as the conference headquarters hotel. Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel arrangements. Other hotels in the area include: