News Release
Contact: Terry Cullen
Phone: 770-270-7207
Email: terry.cullen@gatrans.com
GTC's Raese Named to National Vegetation Management Policy Panel
TUCKER, Ga. -- John Raese, manager of Transmission Line Maintenance for Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC), has been named to a national committee that will advise the federal government on vegetation management regulations for electric transmission power line rights of way.
Raese, who has been with GTC since 1986, was appointed to the 24-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Vegetation Management Committee recently. FERC created the committee in the aftermath of the massive blackout of August 14, 2003, affecting portions of the United States and Canada when it was determined that vegetation management factors played a role in the event.
FERC is the U.S. rule-making body that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil and electricity.
"It is an honor to serve on this committee, both as a representative of GTC and as a voice for electric cooperatives," said Raese, an alumnus of Georgia Tech. "Over the years GTC has been proactive in its management of vegetation in transmission line rights-of-way, and I think that will help me make a meaningful contribution to the committee's efforts."
As manager of Transmission Line Maintenance, Raese oversees GTC's vegetation management program.
The committee recommends to federal regulators mandatory policies that electric utilities will need to follow in managing vegetation growing in their transmission line rights of way. Rights of way are typically cleared paths below transmission lines that are maintained to prevent trees and other vegetation from touching lines and causing outages. Raese said he expects it will take about six months for the panel to develop its recommendations.
"FERC has already announced that they want new rules in place by next summer," Raese said. "I look forward to taking part in this process."
Raese lives in Duluth, Ga., with his wife, Beverly and two children.
About GTC: GTC is a not-for-profit cooperative, providing electric transmission service to 39 electric membership cooperatives throughout Georgia. It owns more than $1 billion in assets, including more than 2,600 miles of transmission lines and 570 substations.