November 2020

Four Steps for Making a Difference

Most professional engineers I know are problem solvers who understand the value of good planning. Which is probably why the pandemic and the current climate of unrest in our country is driving us crazy! We are critical thinkers, and we love orderly processes. Ethics and accountability are very important in our lives. So, as we join together as members of NSPE, and other engineering societies, to improve the world around us, we acknowledge that uncertainties abound.

Even with the uncertainties facing our profession and our country, we know that planning and process execution is essential in meeting the goals we outlined in our strategic plan. NSPE members are working hard to fulfil our vision in spite of all of the challenges: A world where the public can be confident that engineering decisions affecting their lives are made by qualified and ethically accountable professionals.

The NSPE Strategic Plan guides us in doing so and sets up four key focus areas that we are working on across the organization to make a difference: driving growth; shaping public policy; educating for the future; and diversity and tomorrow’s engineers.

Read more.

---

NSPE Names Staff Leader for Ethics and Professional Practice

NSPE has named Rebecca Bowman, Esq., P.E., as the Society’s new senior director of ethics and professional practice. Bowman, who began on November 2, is the principal of a woman-owned business in forensic, civil and structural engineering, dispute resolution, real estate, and legal services. She is experienced in boundary law issues, engineering design and forensic analysis, construction/project management, dispute resolution, real estate, and small business start-ups. Bowman is also a certified arbitrator, mediator, and Christian conciliator.

In addition, Bowman wrote the “Risky Business” column for the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers’ PE Reporter, and her book, Residential Construction and Remodeling in Pennsylvania: Working with Homeowners and Small Contractors, is going into its second edition. She is a frequent CPE lecturer for a variety of providers.

Bowman received her B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of North Dakota, an M.B.A. from Oklahoma University, and J.D. from Duquesne University. She is married with two adult sons and 2.9 grandsons.

---

PEs, Technicians, and Teamwork

Construction projects come with numerous roles and responsibilities that must be carried out with skill and efficiency to achieve success. For professional engineers, perhaps the most critical relationship is with the project’s engineering technicians.

In a recent NSPE webinar on PEs, technicians, and the engineering team, Shannon Looney, P.E., F.NSPE, called the contributions of skilled technicians “invaluable.” As the senior project manager for the Glenn E. Mitchell and Company Inc. in Knoxville, Tennessee, Looney specializes in concrete construction. He relies heavily on the data collected by technicians—“the technicians with their hands on the ground that work directly with the labor force and is able to tell us the data we need…to make real-time decisions on important aspects of production.”

The webinar covers many aspects of the PE-technician dynamic and the factors that make a strong team. In addition to Looney, the webinar panel included Kent Dvorak, P.E., of Terracon’s Salt Lake City office; John Quidley, SET, president and senior quality consultant with Caliber Consulting Services LLC; and Kenny Johnson Jr., P.G., with expertise in the geotechnical and materials testing industry.

The webinar, “Put Me in, Coach! The Engineering Team from Concept to Completion,” can be accessed online for free.

---

Georgia Adopts Structural PE Requirement

Beginning January 1, a professional engineer who designs, signs, and seals plans for “designated structures” in Georgia must be licensed as a structural engineer. Legislation signed into law in August, creates a professional structural engineer licensing process, which includes a requirement that a licensure applicant take the 16-hour PE Structural exam.

The process establishes several paths for current licensees to be grandfathered into obtaining an SE license, which is supplemental to the PE license. An individual licensed in Georgia will have to submit an affidavit form and pay fees to the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors from November 1 to December 31, 2020 to participate in this grandfather process.

In June, NSPE and the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers expressed concerns that a SE license requirement would create an additional layer of bureaucracy, requiring an engineer who is qualified to practice in more than one area to obtain multiple licenses.

NSPE believes that fragmenting the professional engineering license into discipline-specific title or practice acts weakens rather than strengthens the integrity of the license. The Society advocates for an alternative structural engineering certification that could be obtained after earning a PE license to offer more flexibility and without drawing a hard line between structural and other engineering disciplines.

---

In Response to Pandemic, NCEES Schedules Regional Testing for PE Civil Exam

To accommodate as many pencil-and-paper examinees as safely as possible, NCEES has added a regional exam administration on January 26, 2021, for PE Civil examinees only.

Registration for the regional PE Civil exam administration opened on November 1, 2020, and closes on December 14, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. EST. The exam will be administered in the following cities: Phoenix, AZ; Pomona, CA; Denver, CO; Groton, CT; Orlando, FL; Topeka, KS; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Raleigh, NC; Las Vegas, NV; Cleveland, OH; Salem, OR; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle, WA.

Additional cities may be added. Visit the NCEES website for details.

---

Officer Nominations Open

Nominations are now open for the positions of NSPE 2021–22 vice president and 2021–23 treasurer. The individual nominated for vice president will advance to president-elect in 2022–23 and president in 2023–24. The deadline for submitting nomination packages for either position is January 11, 2021.

Please share this information with those you believe should be considered for the next leaders in our Society. Additional details can be found in the Leadership Toolbox. If you have any questions, email the NSPE Executive Office at executive@nspe.org.

---

Upcoming Webinar: Engineering Ethics

NSPE’s PE Institute helps members stay current in the profession, earn PDHs, and advance in their careers through webinars on important topics. Members can access webinars for $99 ($129 for nonmembers). This latest webinar on ethics will be held at 12 p.m. (EST) and will be FREE to engineers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

November 13 (12 p.m. – 1 p.m. EST)
Engineering Ethics: The Basics
Join NSPE-DC President Dan Hanlon, P.E., F.NSPE and NSPE Treasurer and Chair of the Board of Ethical Review Susan Sprague, P.E., F.NSPE as they explore the ethics—specifically the NSPE Code of Ethics—that are at the heart of the engineering profession and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Engineers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia can register for and attend this webinar at no cost.

---

Call for 2021 PECon Proposals

The Society is now accepting presentation submissions for consideration for the 2021 Professional Engineers Conference, July 7-11, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. PECon attracts professional engineers and industry leaders from across the US and internationally for two full days of professional development and networking.

Sessions are organized under the following focus areas

• Leadership and Risk Management
• Sustainability/Infrastructure/Multidisciplinary
• Innovation
• Volunteer Leader and Association Management

Individuals interested in presenting sessions on topics of interest to professional engineers should complete the Call for Presentations form online by November 30, 2021 for full consideration.

---

Check Out the Latest Issue of PE

Persevering Through the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created both new and harsh realities with uncertainty around when conditions will get definitively better. NSPE members, just like everyone else, are trying their best to persevere through both personal and work-life challenges brought on by the pandemic.

A Load That’s Hard to Bear
Two-and-a-half years after the fatal pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University in Miami, NSPE members, regardless of discipline, are still trying to make sense of the failure. The question that’s typically asked, like a reflex: What can we learn so something like this never happens again?

---

Don’t Miss…

• Connecting History to Engineering Practice. NSPE member Zohaib Alvi, P.E., admits to not being fond of learning history as a youth. In a commentary, he shares how he developed an appreciation for studying history and its connection to engineering practice.
• PPP Loan Forgiveness. The US Small Business Administration has released a simplified loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less.
• Buildings that Survive Generations. A USC Viterbi School of Engineering master’s student learns what fortifies structures, while bolstering her civil engineering future one opportunity at a time.
• Access 15 Free PDHs. Take advantage of the 15 free online courses you get each year as part of your NSPE membership.

October 2020

NSPE President Warns Against Broad-Brush Licensing Reform

NSPE President Tricia Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE, recently challenged an opinion piece that advocates making temporary licensing deregulation permanent, measures that were enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to the editor of the Oklahoman, Hatley warns that efforts to weaken licensing, however well-intentioned, make no distinction for highly complex, technical professions. This is a critical distinction that broad-brush proposals like those referenced in the article fail to make—and puts thousands of lives at risk in Oklahoma and elsewhere.

She also states that professions like engineering, architecture, accounting, landscape architecture and surveying are responsible for the safety of our physical spaces and the integrity of our financial systems. Because of this, they are required to meet rigorous standards based on education, experience, and examination to demonstrate a minimum qualification level.

Read more.

---

Report Offers Best Practices for Improving Licensure Mobility

A new report released by the NSPE-led Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) offers insight to how states can provide licensing flexibility and mobility while keeping the protection of the public at the forefront.

Since 2015, there has been a growing movement to promote occupational licensure reform or “universal licensure” policies and legislation to increase mobility and boost the economy. But there are concerns that implementing one-size-fits-all licensing reform policies without careful consideration of the effect on highly technical professions could be detrimental to the public.

The ARPL report offers three guiding principles and related recommendations to provide a roadmap for interstate practice reform: 1) recognize mobility and reciprocity systems that work; 2) develop substantially equivalent requirements for education, examination, and experience; and 3) provide adequate public protection.

Read the report.

---

Civil PE Exam Transitions to Computer Format

All aspiring PEs in civil engineering will soon take the PE exam on computer, with appointments available year-round at Pearson VUE test centers beginning April 1, 2022.

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying originally planned to complete the PE Civil exam’s transition from paper-and-pencil format to computer-based testing in 2023 but fast-tracked the change in response to COVID-19. The civil exam will be offered for the last time in pencil-and-paper format in October 2021. Registration for the April 2022 CBT exam will open November 1, 2021.

NCEES has also fast-tracked the PE Electrical and Computer: Power exam to computer-based testing. Appointments will be available year-round at Pearson VUE test centers beginning December 1, 2020. The two other PE Electrical and Computer disciplines (Computer Engineering and Electronics, Controls, and Communications) will move to CBT after the October 2020 pencil-and-paper exam administration. However, these two disciplines—which have a lower volume of examinees—will be offered annually beginning October 2021 rather than year-round.

Learn more about engineering exam registration on the NCEES website.

---

‘Imagining Tomorrow’ with Engineers Week

Engineers Week is a time to celebrate the important work of engineers and engage the next generation of innovators. 2021 Engineers Week will take place February 21–27, 2021 with the theme “Imagining Tomorrow.” The focus will be on virtual role models, distance learning, and diversity and belonging.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, or “Girl Day,” will also carry this theme forward and will be held on February 25. It will feature special editions of DiscoverE’s “Chats with Change Makers” series.

Learn more.

---

An Adventure to the Moon with Future City

Future City is a project-based learning program where middle school students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future. This year’s Future City theme is “Living on the Moon.” Teams will be challenged to design a lunar city and provide examples of how their city uses two moon resources to keep citizens safe and healthy.

Due to COVID-19, Future City transitioned this year’s program into a virtual format to offer impactful volunteer opportunities you can do from the comfort of your home or office.

---

Inspiring the Next Generation

Kay Bailey is a senior research and development engineer currently working on an innovative mechanical device that relieves back pain and pressure. She knows firsthand the added challenges in academia—and professional settings—when few people look like you. “When I was a middle school student, I didn’t see many examples of African Americans doing engineering,” she says.

This inspired Kay Bailey to volunteer as a Future City mentor in a predominantly African American school in Milwaukee. “I wanted to do whatever I could to show these students that it’s okay to be interested in engineering. Right away I could tell Future City would be a great way to get involved.”

Over the last two years, Bailey has loved working with these young scholars. Sometimes she helps them shape their creative ideas or explains STEM concepts, and other times they simply want to hear about what she is working on at her job. “I want these young people to be encouraged to pursue whatever they want.”

If, like Kay Bailey, you’re interested in inspiring the next generation, you can sign up to be a mentor by clicking here or email Info@FutureCity.org with any questions. This year, the program (including mentoring) will be virtual.

---

National Academy of Engineering Turns Attention to Racial Justice

In a time when the nation is embroiled in conversations on and movement toward racial justice, the National Academy of Engineering has decided to focus more of its attention on these issues.

This fall, the NAE formed the Committee on Racial Justice and Equity, with the intention of advising the academy’s president and council on ways it and the engineering community can address issues of racial inequality and injustice. The move represents one piece of recent significant action by the US research community.

“Current events underscore how critical it is for us to redouble our efforts to include the perspectives of everyone as we build the future world that we want, one in which we are all valued equally,” says NAE President John Anderson. “Engineers serve society, and to be effective engineers must be aware of societal problems in all dimensions.”

NSPE is committed to the same ideals. In 2017, the Society issued a professional policy that advocates for creating a diverse and welcoming environment for everyone interested in the licensed practice of engineering and recognizing the benefits of a diverse population of licensed engineers in shaping the future of engineering.

Diversity is also a major theme in NSPE’s strategic plan, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee provides guidance on the Society’s strategies and activities in these areas.

The NAE committee is tasked with several functions, including identifying ways to increase the percentage of engineering degrees in higher education achieved by African Americans, recommending ways technology can be used to advance racial justice, and developing strategies for improving the number of underrepresented minorities in the highest leadership positions of NAE.

Learn more.

---

Widespread Engineering Doc Forgery Discovered in Ontario

An Ontario, Canada engineer is raising the alarm after his credentials were forged on documents for construction projects across southern Ontario.

Early this year, Gerald Catt of Vanessa, Ontario, discovered his professional seal and signature were used to confirm the safety of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems he had never worked on or heard of, according to a CBC News article published on September 29.

A CBC News investigation uncovered that similar documents exist for 12 large scale construction and renovation projects spread across Brantford, Cambridge, Hamilton, London, Oakville and Whitby.

Despite irregularities with how his seal and signature appeared, and that Catt was unknown to some of the building departments, no one ever contacted him to confirm if the documents were legitimate, he said.

Some of the buildings were found to be open to the public without municipal officials having received a final safety report at all, let alone one of questionable origin. Inspections ensure mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems work and are safe, according to Catt, and when reviews are skipped the public is put at risk. “These things are in the Ontario building code for a reason,” he said, and building officials should be ensuring the rules are followed.

Learn more.

---

Upcoming Webinars: Roundabout Design Safety, the Engineering Team

NSPE’s PE Institute helps members stay current in the profession, earn PDHs, and advance in their careers through webinars on important topics. The webinars are held at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST at a member price of $99 ($129 for nonmembers).

October 21
Too Many Crashes at Your Roundabout? Learn Design Techniques to Optimize Safety
This presentation will discuss how design safety principles affect how drivers receive and process information. For optimal safety and operations, the roundabout design must simplify decision-making and provide clear, concise information as to the correct way to drive the roundabout.
Presenter: Mark T. Johnson, P.E.

October 28
Put Me in Coach! The Engineering Team from Concept to Completion
Within the construction industry, engineering-based decisions are made by professional engineers closely engaged with technicians. Working as an efficient team, a project moves smoothly and is successfully completed. A panel of PEs and technicians will share engineering best practices and approaches to overcoming technical challenges.
This webinar is FREE for members and non-members.
Presenters: Kent D. Dvorak, P.E., Chip Hollis (moderator), William Kenneth Johnson, Jr., P.G., Shannon Looney P.E., and John W. Quidley S.E.T.

---

Are You the Next Federal Engineer of the Year?

Honouring the commitment of federal engineers to innovation and service is the hallmark of the Federal Engineer of the Year Award. Nominations for the award, which attracts participation from more than a dozen federal agencies, are open until October 31.

The FEYA ceremony is scheduled for February 18, 2021, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Tickets will be available for sale in January and sponsorship opportunities are available.

Apply or nominate a worthy engineer today.

---

Don’t Miss…

• Preparing Tomorrow’s STEM Professionals. ABET Executive Director Michael K. J. Milligan, Ph.D., P.E., offers perspective on how to guide engineering students with developing the skills to succeed in the global workforce
• Connect with Colleagues on NSPE’s Communities. Take part in conversations with other PEs regarding threats to licensure, engineering education, and much more.
• Learn the Law to Avoid Claims and Disputes. During the pandemic and as construction is recognized as an “essential” business and trade, it’s time to think harder about how to avoid claims and disputes on construction projects.
• Access the Board of Ethical Review Database. The enhanced, interactive database of over 600 Board of Ethical Review engineering ethics opinions is a unique reference to learn more about the dilemmas engineers sometimes face in their work.

High-Altitude Airships Coming to New Mexico

A Switzerland-based company has selected New Mexico as the site of a new production center for high-altitude airships, reports KOB4. The facility is expected to create 140 high-paying manufacturing and engineering jobs. The stratospheric flights will monitor crops and help improve access to broadband. The company, Sceye, is negotiating a deal to provide better broadband access to the Navajo Nation and other underserved areas in New Mexico. The company reports that its solar-powered airships fly at some 65,000 feet and can remain aloft for year-long missions, either over a fixed spot or fly long-range missions. The airships are designed to lift large payloads of terrestrial equipment, including cameras, sensors, hyper-spectral imaging, radar, and communications infrastructure.

NMSU Program Supports First-Generation Students

First-generation, low-income students at New Mexico State University now have a new backer: a $2.1 million National Science Foundation grant to the College of Engineering, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. The five-year program will be a collaboration among NMSU faculty members, representatives from national laboratories, and local industry.

Member in the News: Walter Gerstle, P.E., Ph.D.

New Mexico oil and gas methane regulations criticized for ‘loop holes’
Carlsbad Current-Argus, 8/7/20

“Regardless of how the regulations are devised or what form they take, University of New Mexico Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering Walter Gerstle argued the industry’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent climate change and pollution must be strictly regulated by the State.

“I am very concerned about greenhouse gas-induced climate change,” he said. “If action isn’t taken, the recent increases in oil and gas production will result in even further greenhouse gas emissions. Every effort should be taken to prevent natural gas from escaping into the atmosphere.”

NCEES Monitors Pandemic as October Exams Near

NCEES is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the October 2020 pencil-and-paper exam administration. All exam site locations are currently proceeding with reduced capacity restrictions in place. Changes to state and local requirements that further reduce capacities for groups and events may impact the number of examinees that are able to test at a specific site. NCEES will continue to monitor these changes between now and exam day.

NCEES is aware that capacity restrictions are preventing many examinees from being able to register for the October exam administration. To accommodate as many examinees as safely as possible, NCEES has moved up the transition to computer-based testing for the PE Electrical and Computer: Power exam (registration is open with appointments starting on December 1) and will offer a regional pencil-and-paper exam administration in January for PE Civil examinees.

Regional Pencil-Paper PE Civil Exams Slated for January

To accommodate as many pencil-and-paper examinees as safely as possible, NCEES has added a regional exam administration in several locations on January 26, 2021, exclusively for PE Civil examinees. Registration for the regional PE Civil exam administration will open November 1, 2020, and close December 13, 2020, at 3 p.m. (EST).

The exam will be administered in the following cities:  Phoenix, Arizona; Pomona, California; Denver, Colorado; Hartford, Connecticut; Orlando, Florida; Topeka, Kansas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Raleigh, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Houston, TX; and Seattle, Washington. Additional cities may be added before registration opens.

Examinees who are located outside of these states should check with their state licensing board prior to registering to determine their eligibility to test outside of their jurisdiction.

Access ncees.org for exam updates.

Stay up to date on legislative issues through the NSPE Advocacy Center.

Society Releases Policy Guide on Emerging Tech, Public Safety

A new NSPE policy guide has added the professional engineer’s voice to the growing conversation around the safe development and deployment of emerging technologies. The guide’s safety recommendations begin with the premise that the public’s interests are best served when licensed professional engineers oversee the design, development, and/or deployment of emerging technologies.

NSPE’s Emerging Technologies Task Force crafted the recommendations as a starting point for adopting standards that protect public safety and to provide guidelines to measure the safety readiness of technologies before they are deployed. The guide is intended for public policy decisionmakers, regulators, manufacturers, and others.

The Society strongly encourages the adoption of these recommendations and is available as a resource for information and drafting of regulations.

Access the guide.

Nominations Open for Federal Engineer of the Year Award

Honoring the commitment of federal engineers to innovation and service is the hallmark of the Federal Engineer of the Year Award . Nominations for the award, which attracts participation from more than a dozen federal agencies, are open until October 31.

The FEYA ceremony is scheduled for February 18, 2021, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Tickets will be available for sale in January and sponsorship opportunities are available.

Timothy Sullivan, P.E., who has brought mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering expertise to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center in San Antonio, Texas, was named the 2020 FEYA winner. Sullivan developed the first-ever comprehensive execution guidebook to support $604 million in nationwide construction, and as part of that three-year project, he crafted a project risk management process to identify vulnerabilities of construction projects greater than $5 million.

Apply or nominate a worthy engineer today.

Upcoming Webinars: Traffic Signals, Forensic Engineering, Communications Skills, Vintage Trolley Cars, Design Safety

NSPE’s PE Institute helps members stay current in the profession, earn PDHs, and advance in their careers through webinars on important topics. The webinars are held at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST at a member price of $99 ($129 for nonmembers).

September 23
The Physics of the Yellow Traffic Signal: ITE’s First Recommended Practice
The webinar will focus on the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ first recommended practice for calculating the duration of the yellow traffic signal.
Presenter: Brian Ceccarelli, P.E.

September 30
So, You Want to Launch a Forensic Engineering Consulting Practice
Forensic engineers can operate as sole proprietorship, partnerships, professional corporations or be part of a multifaceted forensic engineering company or one of the many national forensic engineering investigation firms. This session addresses the opportunities for engineers interested in performing forensic engineering services as well as the issues they will need to address.
Presenters: John Certuse, P.E., Michael Leshner, P.E., James Petersen, P.E., and Samuel Sudler P.E., F.NSPE

October 7
The Four Languages of Influence
Improve your influence by customizing your interactions to four distinct communication styles that will help make better connections.
Presenter: Roger Grannis

October 14
Vintage/Heritage Trolley Cars in Transit Use: Past, Present, and Future
The presentation will help attendees better understand the unique nature, challenges, and opportunities of vintage and heritage trolley cars in actual public transit use in the modern age, including vehicle engineering support and technical assistance, for these vehicles.
Presenter: Matthew Nawn, P.E., PMP

October 21
Too Many Crashes at Your Roundabout? Learn Design Techniques to Optimize Safety
This presentation will discuss how design safety principles affect how drivers receive and process information. For optimal safety and operations, the roundabout design must simplify decision-making and provide clear, concise information as to the correct way to drive the roundabout.
Presenter: Mark T. Johnson, P.E.

Visit NSPE’s PE Institute.

A team of NASA engineers is working to build a robot that can shapeshift and explore remote terrain well beyond the confines of our terraqueous dome.

Aptly named the Shapeshifter, NASA’s experimental drone’s appearance is about as odd as the robot is capable. Shaped like a hamster wheel, the 3D-printed drone is comprised of two hemispheric components, each of which contains a quadcopter-like hub at its center. From this configuration the Shapeshifter can roll across terrain as a single larger unit, and, when ordered, can split into two flying members.

“It is often the case that some of the hardest places to get to are the most scientifically interesting because maybe they’re the youngest, or they’re in an area that was not well characterized from orbit,” said Jason Hofgartner, Jet Propulsion Laboratory lead scientist for Shapeshifter. “Shapeshifter’s remarkable versatility enables access to all of these scientifically compelling places.”

Although Shapeshifter’s morphology gives it some advantages over traditional exploration craft, the drone has enormous potential for changing the way researchers assay other worlds.

Ali Agha, Shapeshifter’s principle investigator, imagines that future incarnations of his robot could be made completely autonomous, making it easier to explore vast regions of otherwise unknown worlds without the need for human intervention. Additionally, Agha believes that Shapeshifter could be paired with a larger, more sophisticated mother craft to help ferry that scientific hub from location to location as more detailed reconnaissance of a planet is delivered by the Shapeshifter itself. For the time being, Shapeshifter is still in the “advanced concepts” phase of the NASA development pipeline; however, with missions to Europa and Titan planned and proposed for the early and late 2020s, respectively, don’t be surprised to see dynamic shapeshifting (and possibly artificially intelligent?) robots leading the way for deep space, off-world exploration. 

By: Kyle Maxey (engineering.com) | October 18, 2019

Attached is the ACEC New Mexico Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) Call for Entries!

Also attached to the Call for Entries are the Official Entry Form and Helpful Hints.

Get the recognition your projects and team members deserve from clients, industry leaders, and peers!

Deadline for submittals is Friday, November 15, 2019, by 2 PM.

New Mexico Tech (NMT) hosted the second annual Ethics Debate Competition on Saturday, March 30th on NMT campus, with a team of University of New Mexico (UNM) students taking the first-place prize. The team of Delanie Heileman and Trevor Amestoy won the top prize of $1,500. The NMT (New Mexico Tech) team of Haley Hanson and Jason Pollock took second place and a $1,000 prize. The NMT team of James Nolan and Taylor Neal won third place and $800.

New Mexico was ranked third in the nation in wind energy, as the state moves toward adopting more carbon-free energy options following the latest legislative session.

The American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) second-quarter market report showed the state hosting 2,774 megawatts (MW) of wind energy in construction or development, trailing Wyoming’s 4,831 MW and Texas’ 9,015 MW.

New Mexico was ahead of Iowa at 2,623 MW and South Dakota at 2,183 MW.

Texas’ wattage meant it hosted 22 percent of the nation’s total wind energy development, while Wyoming hosted 12 percent and New Mexico had 7 percent.

Iowa was at 6 percent and South Dakota was at 5 percent, records show.

In total, the report showed almost 42 gigawatts worth of wind energy capacity either under construction or in development, while long-term contracts for wind capacity was up 10 percent compared with the first half of 2018.

A megawatt is equal to a million watts, and a gigawatt is 1,000 megawatts. The average microwave oven has about 600 to 1,200 watts.

Buyers of wind energy across the nation included major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Hormel Foods.

The first half of 2019 saw continued increase in interest in wind energy from major companies across the state, while turbine manufactures responding to the increasing demand.

“Strong consumer demand from Fortune 500 businesses and utilities as well as calls from multiple states for offshore projects added to wind power’s growing development pipeline,” the report read.

“At the same time, wind turbine manufacturers saw an increasing number of factory orders for more powerful wind turbines capable of powering almost twice the number of homes as an average wind turbine installed in the past few years.”

Wind power is a staple of the Palm Springs area. Wochit, Wochit

AWEA Chief Executive Office Tom Kiernan said the increased investment in wind energy supports and energy source he said was “cleaner” and more affordable than traditional fossil fuel-based energy.

He said there are more than 200 wind farm projects ongoing in 33 states.

“Our industry’s success strengthens the U.S. economy because access to affordable, clean American wind power is a competitive advantage in the eyes of business leaders,” he said.

“And when those businesses invest in U.S. wind energy, it directly benefits the people living and working in our country’s farm, factory, and port communities.”

More: XTO Energy gives tour of ‘mock’ oil and gas facility at NM Junior College

Kiernan said the wind industry was also bolstered by technological advancements allowing wind turbines to increase their output, but also called on state and federal governments to approve projects to increase power grid capacity to move the energy to market.

“We’re seeing a growing number of wind farms select turbines capable of powering nearly twice as many homes as the average U.S. wind turbine,” he said. “Wind technology innovation is keeping pace with demand, but we can’t afford to neglect the power grid infrastructure that delivers electricity from where it’s made to consumers.”

A group of Eddy County business leaders known as the Bat Brigade met with New Mexico officials to discuss statewide and local issues. Adrian Hedden, Jackee Coe, Wochit

Wind power emerging in New Mexico

New Mexico’s rise to wind energy prominence began in 2017, when it added wind energy capacity at a higher growth than any other state, records show.

About 1,732 megawatts were put online that year, representing a capital investment of $3 billion.

By 2018, that investment materialized into up to 3,000 jobs in the industry, with about $8.5 million in state and local tax payments by wind projects.

Annual land lease payments were up to $10 million.

More: Could New Mexico be carbon-free by 2045?

More: New Mexico moves closer to carbon-free electricity as wind farm goes into service

The Energy Transition Act has been described as New Mexico’s “Green New Deal,” but what does that mean? Hannah Grover, hgrover@daily-times.com

By the end of 2018, 1,026 wind turbines were installed, ranking the state at 15th, with 18 wind projects online and 16 larger than 10 megawatts.

Last year, wind energy provided 18.7 percent of New Mexico’s in-state electricity production, ranking the state seventh in the country.

That amount of power generated by wind could power 593,100 New Mexico homes.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sought to capitalize on the growth, passing legislation known as the Energy Transition Act during the 2019 legislative session to raise New Mexico’s renewable portfolio to a goal of 50 percent of the state’s electricity by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040.

More: Wind farm is coming to southeast New Mexico, turbines to be built in Eddy County

Lujan Grisham also called on the state to operate on 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045.

“The Energy Transition Act fundamentally changes the dynamic in New Mexico,” she said. “This legislation is a promise to future generations of New Mexicans, who will benefit from both a cleaner environment and a more robust energy economy with exciting career and job opportunities.”By: Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

PE Matters: State News

Full articles available through NSPE membership. Join Today!

Thank you for attending!

Based on the interest expressed by the members in earlier conferences, the NMSPE Board decided to put emphasis at this Annual Meeting on topics related to recent legislative bills, electrical issues of new technology and economic impact on New Mexico. After a careful search of the local and national talents, following is a list of highly qualified speakers that were selected and arranged:

1. Michael Lunn, Illuminating Engineering Society. Topic of his talk was “Networking Lighting Control Systems”.
2. Dennis Romero, PE, Public Works Director, City of Gallup. His talk was on “Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project: A Progress Update”.
3. Gary Oppedahl, Vice President of Emerging Technologies, Emera Technologies. Topic of his talk was “Microgrids”.
4. Tom Fallgren, Vice President of Generation, PNM. Talk was on “Generation, Transmission, and Distribution: PNM’s Path to a Zero Carbon Emissions Future”.
5. Abbas Akhil, PE, Renewable Energy Ventures, LLC. His talk was on “Energy-Related Bills in the 2019 Legislative Session”.
6. Raj Solomon, PE, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. His talk was on “Engineering-Related Bills in the 2019 Legislative Session”.
7. Tim Cummins, Robin Dyche CCIM, Bob Gomez, and Tim MacEachen CCIM, SIOR of Rio Real Estate Investment Opportunities. Their talk was on “Oasis of Opportunity Central New Mexico Rail Park”.
The concluding session was on “Ethics”. Arthur Schwartz, CAE, Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel, NSPE, traveled from Washington DC to discuss “Ethics Cases” in the last 2 hour of the meeting.

Annual Meeting was well attended by more than 125 members and participants.