James T. Ghrist, PE

Education
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, 1968
Master of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh, 1973

Registration
Registered Professional Engineer: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

​Associations
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Senior Member - PES, IAS
National Society of Professional Engineers - Member 

Experience
After graduating from West Virginia University, Mr. Ghrist joined West Penn Power Company in 1969 where he developed distribution standards.  The department was later consolidated into Allegheny Power Service Corporation.  

In 1973, Mr. Ghrist joined Black & Veatch where he performed a wide variety of project management, facility design, and power system study functions. He managed all phases of multidisciplinary domestic and international engineering projects, from proposal through construction. Mr. Ghrist’s international work with Black & Veatch included overseas residence in Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

Mr. Ghrist joined the staff of Utility Technology in 1996 where he has been responsible for facility design, distribution system investigations, distributed generation and power system studies.

Design tasks have included specification of structures and equipment, physical layout, relaying and control, insulation coordination, grounding, and development of standards. Facilities have included both overhead and underground distribution through 34.5 kV, overhead transmission lines through 230 kV, and substations through 500 kV.
​
Power system studies have included arc flash hazard analysis, power quality and harmonic distortion, load management, outage analysis, power factor correction, relay coordination, fault current, and load flow. As a part of these studies, Mr. Ghrist has made detailed measurement and analysis of existing conditions, economic comparison of alternatives, and recommendations for improved system operations.

Recent Projects

• Design of a 138-4.16 kV industrial substation for a major tire manufacturer, including capacitor switching transient analysis.
• Analysis and design of 12.5 kV underground distribution in Georgetown, SC.
• Design of five (5) 1850 kW mobile diesel engine generators and design QC of permanent diesel engine generating plants in Seneca, SC (10,000 kW) and Georgetown, SC (4,000 kW).
• Design of distribution substations in Salem, VA (69-12.5 kV), Easley, SC (100-12.5 kV), Georgetown, SC (12.5 kV); Greenwood, SC (100-25 kV); Gaffney, SC (100-25 kV); and Seneca, SC (100-12.5 kV).
• Design of 115 kV tap station in Gaffney, SC.
• Substation grounding design in Orangeburg, SC; Rowan, NC; Monroe, GA, and Effingham, GA.
• Lightning protection design in Orangeburg, SC; Rowan, SC; and Monroe, GA

• Long range planning studies for Easley, SC; Lockhart Power, SC; Greenwood, SC; Seneca, SC; and Gaffney, SC.
• Distribution system protective coordination studies for Easley, SC; Lockhart Power, Seneca, SC; and Gaffney, SC.
• Analysis and mitigation of harmonic distortion for a hospital in Wilmington, NC.
• Arc flash hazard analyses for various water treatment facilities and utility distribution systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• Evaluation of alternative power supplies for Seneca, SC and Greenwood SC.
• Design and studies for the modernization of low and medium voltage distribution systems in Alexandria, Egypt.  Work included power quality, load management, outage analysis, and power factor correction.