Steve Herling, described as an “institution” of PJM Planning
wisdom, will retire June 30 after three decades at PJM Interconnection.
At the May 4 teleconference Members Committee meeting, his
successor as Vice President of Planning, Ken Seiler, honored Herling’s years of
service and unique contribution to the organization.
“He really is an institution at PJM,” said Seiler. “We can
thank him for helping create this robust, reliable transmission system that we
have today.”
Herling was the original architect of the PJM Regional
Transmission Expansion Plan in 1998, and he created what has become PJM’s
current generation interconnection process. He knows the topography of the PJM
region like no one else, Seiler noted.
“I appreciate his depth of knowledge about any and all
things planning, his guidance and leadership and, in recent years, his advice
to me while I attempt to fill his size-14 shoes.” Seiler said.
Herling was the original architect of the PJM Regional
Transmission Expansion Plan in 1998, and he created what has become PJM’s
current generation interconnection process.
“He knows the topography of the PJM region like no one
else,” Seiler continued.
Herling received a Bachelor of
Science and a Master of Engineering in electric power engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He worked at American Electric Power Service
Corp. for eight years and then General Public Utilities Service Corp. before
landing at PECO in May 1990 as an engineer in the Operations Planning Branch. His
job at PECO transitioned to PJM in 1993.
Herling began his work at PJM as an engineer and became vice
president of Planning in 2004, a position which he held until beginning his
transition last year as a senior consultant. He called the PJM Planning team
staff “second to none.”
“It’s hard to believe 30 years has gone by – it seems like
yesterday,” Herling said at the Member Committee meeting. “As they say, time
flies when you’re having fun.”
Original source: PJM