The Engineering Debate Shaping the Future Power Grid

**Brandon Goodwin** (0:00)
We've really been focused on connecting new infrastructure to the grid, not expanding the grid itself.

**Zach Brinker** (0:05)
Most transmission projects are really an access road project with a transmission component.

**Brandon Goodwin** (0:09)
One of the biggest problems in our industry right now is we can't build capacity fast enough to keep up with our rapid demand growth.

**Kinsey Graham Baker** (0:16)
No two transmission projects are the same as well.

**Brandon Goodwin** (0:19)
Most of our grid was built in the mid 1900s, right?

**Zach Brinker** (0:22)
More and more power going longer and longer distances, you need higher voltages to get it there.

**Brandon Goodwin** (0:27)
This industry is booming, and really it doesn't appear to be cooling down anytime soon.

**Kinsey Graham Baker** (0:36)
Welcome back to Power Perspectives. I'm Kinsey Graham Baker, and it is time to dive in. The whole once in a generation demand spike thing means more than just stressed out utility leaders. It has tons of second and third order impacts that are shifting conversations across the power industry. How are data centers cooled? What comes first for utilities that need to build new infrastructure and update existing poles and wires? And the one we're exploring today, as transmission demand grows and utilities build more extra high-voltage lines, the industry is revisiting an old question with new urgency. Should the structure be a lattice tower or a steel pole? Today, I am thrilled to welcome to Powerhouse guests, Zach Brinker, Senior Project Engineer at Burns & McDonnell, Brandon Goodwin, Technical Manager for Overhead Transmission at Burns & McDonnell. We are going to hear about what their comparisons show, why the answer to that big question I mentioned depends on more than just material cost and how utilities can make better structure choices based on things like terrain, outage constraints, and the realities of construction. This is a blueprint for one of the tougher calls utilities are making these days. So buckle up and let's jump in. Before we do, a real quick note, today's episode is brought to you by our fantastic partners at Burns & McDonnell. Stick around to hear more about the work that they are doing a little later in the conversation. For now, Brandon, Zach, welcome to Power Perspectives. How are you today?

**Brandon Goodwin** (1:55)
Doing good. Thank you for having us.

**Zach Brinker** (1:56)
Same here.

**Kinsey Graham Baker** (1:57)
Thank you. Of course, we're thrilled to have you here. It's going to be a great conversation. I think before we dive into the topic, I would love if you would both just introduce yourselves a little so our audience can get to know your voices if they're just listening in. I would love to hear a little bit more about maybe what you do, what some of your biggest priorities are on your teams these days. Tell me a little bit more about the work.

**Brandon Goodwin** (2:15)
Yeah, for sure.
First of all, Brandon Goodwin, I am the technical manager of our overhead transmission group in Kansas City. I'm overseeing our technical professionals that are executing these design projects for major transmission lines across the United States and the world, really. Just a background on me and how I got to where I am today. It all started growing up on a family farm in rural Missouri, where I really loved coming up with an idea, figuring out, drawing it on paper, figuring out how it's going to come together and then building it. That's really where my interest in civil engineering first all started. From there, went to civil engineering school for college. I really wanted to go build the coolest bridge or the tallest building like most civil engineers do and had no idea of what the transmission line industry was or what it could offer for a career. During my college years, I did multiple internships with DOTs again in the basic civil engineering infrastructure world. Then I decided I was going to go back and get my master's and between my bachelor's and master's, I took an internship with a utility that sells hydropower that comes off of federal dams. So that's really where I first got interested. In that internship, they love to show off the dams, the major civil assets of their infrastructure, but I was more focused on the power side and the transmission that was coming out of those facilities. So that's where I learned how big of industry this is and what a major part civil engineers can do.
Fast forward, I've now been with Burns & McDonnell for 12 years, all doing transmission line design and been fortunate to be able to serve a lot of major IOUs across the country as well as some more local utilities, ranging from all voltages and really got quite a bit of experience in all types of transmission structures, but primarily steel poles and lattice towers, which we're going to talk about more today.