The Utility Arborist Association (UAA) is pleased to feature key policy makers from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the UAA's annual meeting July 28 to Aug. 1 in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

For the last five years, vegetation management has been an important topic with federal and state utility policy makers and regulators. UAA is delighted to have several of these key individuals at the UAA annual meeting held in association with the International Society of Arboriculture's annual conference. FERC Commissioner Mark Spitzer will discuss the importance of transmission reliability. A representative from NERC will discuss the new transmission vegetation management standard, and the chair of the Hawaii Public Utility Commission, Carlito P. Caliboso, will discuss the impacts at the state level. And Bill Parks with the DOE will discuss power-line corridor designations on federal lands.

In addition, speakers from Australia, Brazil and Hong Kong will discuss utility vegetation management in their respective countries. This is a program that cannot be missed for anyone who is involved in making decisions for utilities when it comes to vegetation management.