The Utility Vegetation Management Podcast
Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) is a rapidly growing multi-billion dollar a year industry employing tens of thousands of people. UVM is the largest operational expense in most electric utilities and frequently the largest driver of system reliability and outage management. In recent years, climate change, wildfires, storms and Public Safety Power Shutoffs have brought the industry into mainstream news. Several groups including government, regulators, utilities, contractors, industry and the public are now active stakeholders and contribute to the public debate. Despite high levels of concern and interest in the subject matter, communications on the topic have been restricted to traditional media outlets. The UVM Podcast is the first of its kind. It aims to directly insert itself in the public conversation as a 21st Century medium to discuss and address the challenges that face us all. The podcast is hosted by Stephen Cieslewicz, an internationally recognized expert in UVM, and Nick Ferguson, a Tech Sector leader specializing in Utility Vegetation Management.
- Update frequency
- every 38 days
- Average duration
- 36 minutes
- Episodes
- 35
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
34 | Chris Vetromile, Austin Energy
Co‑hosts Nick Ferguson and Steve Cieslewicz sit down with Chris Vetromile, Wildfire Mitigation Manager at Austin Energy, to unpack how a municipal utility in Central Texas is building a modern wildfi…
33 | Floyd Hardin, Salt River Project
In this episode of The Utility Vegetation Management Podcast, hosts Nick Ferguson and Stephen Cieslewicz sit down with Floyd Hardin of Salt River Project (SRP) to explore how one of the nation’s larg…
32 | Insurance and UVM
In this episode of The UVM Podcast, Steve and Nick explore the complex intersection of Utility Vegetation Management and the insurance industry with a focus on insurance for UVM Service Providers. Wi…
31 | The UVM Report - 2025
In this episode, Nick interviews Steve, to discuss his 2025 UVM report calling for a transformation in how utilities manage vegetation near power infrastructure. With over four decades of experience …
30 | Ben Silverman, International Wildfire Risk Mitigation Consortium (IWRMC)
In this episode, Nick and Steve are joined by Ben Silverman. Ben is a Program Director at E-Source, who is one of the founding members of the International Wildfire Risk Mitigation Consortium (IWRMC)…
29 | Dennis Fallon, Utility Arborist Association, Brian Eubanks, PG&E/ Saluting Branches
In this episode of the UVM Podcast, hosts Nick and Steve sit down with Dennis Fallon, Executive Director of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), to discuss the highly anticipated Trees & Utilities…
28 | Utility Vegetation Management Institute, Larry Kahn, Tulane University Law School
In this episode, Steve is joined by a very special, and tough, guest co-host in Nick’s absence. The episode kicks off with Steve’s co-host sharing an update on all of the amazing work they have been …
27 | Eric Brown, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
In today’s episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Nick and Steve are joined by industry thought leader Eric Brown, Manager of Grid Assets for Electric T&D Vegetation Management at Sacramento Municipal Uti…
26 | Tim Walsh, The Davey Tree Expert Company
In this episode, Nick and Steve have the privilege of hosting Tim Walsh, a key member of the UVM industry with decades of experience and a passionate advocate for safety. Tim, a former president of …
25 | Jeremy Hayward, Redding Rancheria, Native American Tribe **CEUs available**
In an engaging podcast episode, Nick and Steve are joined by Jeremy Hayward, a member of the Redding Rancheria nation and President of the Redding Rancheria Economic Development Corporation (REDDCO).…
24 | Madelyn Anderson, Powerline Bushfire Safety Program, Victoria, Australia (part 2) **CEUs available**
Part 2
In this episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Steve and Nick are joined by guest Madelyn Anderson, Senior Policy Officer of the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program at the Department of Energy, Enviro…
23 | Madelyn Anderson, Powerline Bushfire Safety Program, Victoria, Australia (part 1) **CEUs Available**
In this episode of The UVM Podcast, hosts Steve and Nick are joined by guest Madelyn Anderson, Senior Policy Officer of the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program at the Department of Energy, Environment …
22 | Electricity Canada, Dan Gent **CEUs Available**
In this podcast interview, Nick and Steve, hosts of The UVM Podcast, interview Dan Gent, Director of Transmission and Reliability at Electricity Canada, a national forum and voice of the evolving and…
21 | US vs. Europe: Response to the 2003 Blackouts, Lex Kumar
In the aftermath of the 2003 tree related blackouts, North America and Europe responded differently to the issue of regulating their electricity grids. North America adopted a highly regulated approa…
20 | Artificial Intelligence and Utility Vegetation Management **CEUs Available**
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) is revolutionizing the way we manage vegetation around power lines, and the benefits are nothing short of impr…
19 | Demarcation, Larry Kahn, Tulane University Law School **CEUs Available**
In this episode we discuss the “the demarcation issue” with Larry Kahn, the Distinguished Research Fellow at Tulane Law School’s UVMI. This is the second episode, in a planned series of discussions w…
18 | The Cradle Grave Asset Lifecycle (LiveEO, NV5 Geospatial, Planet)
What is the cradle to grave asset lifecycle, and how do different forms of remote sensing come into play? Is satellite the ‘silver bullet’ of the remote sensing world that will entirely replace LiDAR…
17 | The Rule of 70, Larry Kahn, Visiting Research Fellow, Tulane University Law School
In this episode we discuss the “Rule of 70” with Larry Kahn, the Distinguished Research Fellow at Tulane Law School’s UVMI. This is the first episode, in a planned series of discussions with Larry, w…
16 | Integrated Vegetation Management & ROW Stewardship, Lewis Payne, Manager ROW/ Environmental, New York Power Authority (NYPA) **CEUs Available**
In this episode (and at the suggestion of one of our subscribers- thanks Eric Owens at CNUC!) we interview Lewis Payne from the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the largest state-owned utility in the…
15 | Eliecer Viamontes, President and CEO, Entergy Texas
In this episode we interview Eliecer Viamontes, the recently appointed President and CEO of Entergy Texas. Entergy serves about 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tex…