Champlain Hudson Power Express: A Renewable Energy Solution for New York City

Robert G. Harrison, P.E.  
Senior Vice President, Engineering 
TDI-USA Holdings LLC

Mr. Harrison is a senior engineering/construction executive with over 30 years of operating experience in diverse markets including power generation and transmission. He previously served as Vice President, Energy Infrastructure at AECOM, where he managed projects with a particular focus on power and transmission in the Northeastern U.S. He was also Vice President of Operations for EMCOR Construction Services where he managed execution of energy and related projects throughout the US and Canada. 

Mr. Harrison holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University at Buffalo, where he served on the Dean’s Council in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is past Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Advisory Board. 
He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and Vermont. 

Stephen Rutkey, P.E.  
Vice President, Project Services  
TDI-USA Holdings LLC

Mr. Rutkey is vice president of project services with over 30 years of professional experience, including 25 years as a licensed professional engineer in New York State (civil engineering). Mr. Rutkey previously worked at AECOM, leading the development of multiple alternate routes and eventual Article VII Permit route amendments in upstate New York, and otherwise supporting the CHPE project from 2012-2023. There he held various positions such as the lead civil engineer for major projects, department manager for upstate and western New York civil engineering, and project manager for more than 60 AECOM projects including local, state, federal, and private clients; direct supervisor of staff; and contributor to many technology and project delivery initiatives.
 
Mr. Rutkey holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) – Albany Section. He is an ASCE member, and previously volunteered as a town historic preservation commission chairman. 

Michael Main 
Director, Engineering Services 
TDI-USA Holdings LLC

Mr. Main is a senior management professional with over 20 years of experience servicing large scale programs and projects in various phases of development and execution within the energy sector.  Working with clients in both private and public sectors has afforded him the ability to work on a wide range of power generation, transmission and distribution, and energy conservation solutions utilizing an array of commercial contracting mechanisms.

Most notably, Mr. Main has worked with the NYC Mayor’s office in developing and implementing energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction programs across several municipal agencies, as well as the development and execution of two major underground HVDC transmission projects – the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) and The New England Clean Power Link (NECPL). Mr. Main holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering from the State University of New York – Maritime College, and a retired USCG License as an operating engineer.

Sabrina Taylor  
Senior Project Manager 
TDI-USA Holdings LLC

Mrs. Taylor currently serves as the Senior Project Manager – Hudson River, Marine for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) Project.  She previously served as a Construction Manager civil service employee for the United States Coast Guard’s Civil Engineering Unit Miami, supervising and coordinating construction projects from major maintenance and recapitalization to minor improvements, as well as project planning, budgets, pre-construction, and contract closeout. Mrs. Taylors experience includes 12 years of Active-Duty service with the United States Coast Guard as both a Naval and Civil Engineer.  

Mrs. Taylor holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the United States Coast Guard Academy.  As a Reservist, she currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander (O-4) and serves as the Assistant Senior Reserve Officer, stationed at USCG Base Miami Beach.

Moderator: Mike Beehler 
National Spokesperson 
Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative

Mike Beehler P.E. is the national spokesperson for the Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative and the chief opportunity officer for Mike Beehler & Associates LLC. He started his career designing and building transmission lines and substations for Tucson Electric Power and the Hawaiian Electric Co. and then spent more than 20 years designing T&D infrastructure and consulting on emerging trends at Burns & McDonnell. He has written, presented, and consulted on reliability-centered maintenance, critical infrastructure protection, and program management. In addition, he is a well-known industry writer and speaker on the early definition of the smart grid, 3-D and building information modeling applications in T&D, and development plans for smart cities.

Most recently, he is sought for his strategic leadership and vision on the application of emerging technologies in changing business models to include the integration of distributed energy resources, augmented/virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. He authored the book, The Science of the Sale. Beehler is a registered professional engineer in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Georgia, and Alabama. He also is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of IEEE and CIGRE.