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Episode Notes
Chad Hughes hosts Thomas Schaffer, Senior Manager for Transmission Right-of-Way at American Electric Power, on the show to discuss the work AEP is doing and how they engage with customers in meaningful ways. They delve into Thomas’ career history and what the future has in store for the industry.
Thomas came into acquisition through working a summer job at the courthouse in Columbus, Ohio. He started learning about title ownership at the courthouse and that led into easement which ultimately landed him acquisition work. He has been at American Electric Power for sixteen years now in a role surrounding electric transmission facilities that stretch over 40,000 miles.
Chad and Thomas talk about not only how AEP has changed and grown in the last sixteen years, but how renewable energy has affected the industry at large. Thomas addresses how the initial approach to landowners is considered and the importance of maintaining that relationship component. He expects changes in the future that will affect regulations pertaining to customers, and considers how social media can affect industry messaging overall.
“Number one, looking for affordable electricity is important. We hear that a lot. The other part, too, is clean and reliable electricity. So when you unpack a lot of that, the renewable side comes into play. And so from our position, when we talk about renewables and bringing them onto the grid, there is a lot of demand and trying to find ways to build partnerships with those renewable developers I think is probably the most significant in the aspect of them getting on the grid.” – Thomas Schaffer
About Thomas Schaffer:
Thomas Schaffer is a senior manager at American Electric Power (AEP), and is responsible for managing the right-of-way group in securing the land rights necessary for the construction, operation and maintenance of AEP’s electric transmissions facilities. AEP has the largest transmission system in the U.S with over 40,000 line miles across 13-states, and currently has a right-of-way staff of over 60 full-time employees and contractors, as well as 13 service providers supporting right-of-way acquisition projects.
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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin
Thomas Schaffer | Senior Manager, Transmission Right-of-Way AEP: website | website 2 | linkedin
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