John S. Kessler / Kessler and Associates, LLC
Kessler and Associates, LLC (530) 644-2010
John S. Kessler, Engineer
Kessler and Associates, LLC
2801 Shady Lane, Pollock Pines, CA 95726
Ofc: (530) 644-2010, Cell: (530) 306-5920
Email: zephyr@innercite.com
Civil Engineer License #C34897
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES:
• State of California Professional Civil Engineer, License No. C34897;
• B.S. Civil Engineering, University Of California, Davis, June 1979;
• A.A. Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, June 1976;
UNIQUE ASSETS FOR SERVING AS A DAM SAFETY ENGINEER:
Mr. Kessler is a licensed Civil Engineer in California with over 30 years of experience in the fields of power generation and transmission, and soil and water resources, which includes planning and managing projects with responsibilities in engineering and dam safety, operations, maintenance, construction, CEQA and NEPA environmental assessment, licensing, regulatory compliance, permitting and project management.
With his diverse background of managing and performing a broad range of responsibilities, combined with experience working in various organizations including regulatory agency, public, private and utility, Mr. Kessler provides unique insights as to how to most effectively coordinate and achieve objectives in accomplishing a project. Mr. Kessler’s project management style promotes positive and productive relationships amongst the team of professionals he supports in managing a project. Mr. Kessler is also respected for maintaining positive and productive working relationships with representatives of federal, state and local agencies, which by their trust in his expertise and follow-through, promotes a most efficient means for accomplishing client goals and objectives. Mr. Kessler also provides an in-depth understanding of the power generation and electric transmission industry having managed engineering including dam safety, field operations, maintenance, capital improvements and regulatory compliance for hydropower projects, and having managed the licensing and permit processes for hydroelectric and thermal electric power plants including transmission interconnection.
As a Dam Safety Engineer, Mr. Kessler currently serves as the Chief Dam Safety Engineer as a consultant to Utica Power Authority (UPA) supporting them in all aspects of their dam safety program. He has prepared the Dam Safety Surveillance Monitoring Reports for dams under FERC and DSOD jurisdiction for UPA and El Dorado Irrigation District (EID), and represents his clients in field inspections conducted by FERC and DSOD. Mr. Kessler has prepared numerous dam safety-related plans and reports including participating on a team preparing the Part 12 Independent Consultant’s Safety Inspection Report for UPA’s dams and preparing standard operating procedures for UPA and EID. Mr. Kessler has managed Emergency Action Plan (EAP) programs for over 18 years serving Merced Irrigation District, Placer County Water Agency, EID and UPA, including facilitating Tabletop and Functional Exercises for each, and offering ideas for continous EAP program improvement in the interest of protecting life and property from potential flood hazards. Mr. Kessler’s EAP program experience has led to supporting his clients with FERC’s more recent dam safety initiatives including preparing Time Sensitivity EAP Assessments, development of Public Education Programs, and preparing the comprehensive Owner’s Dam Safety Programs.
As a licensing Project Manager for the California Energy Commission, Mr. Kessler has managed large teams of professionals to collectively analyze power plant licensing and transmission interconnection projects for environmental impacts and conformance with federal, state and local laws and regulations, and to establish appropriate mitigation measures. Mr. Kessler has worked effectively with the Energy Commission’s federal partners including Western Area Power Administration and Bureau of Land Management, in preparing joint assessments of proposed energy and transmission projects to conform with NEPA and CEQA. These include natural gas-fired and solar-thermal power plant projects and related linear facilities including transmission lines and substations.
As the Hydroelectric Director of EID, Mr. Kessler managed the engineering, operations and environmental functions of the District’s El Dorado Hydroelectric Project over a 5-year period from 1995 – 2000. Prior to his service with EID, Mr. Kessler served in a similar capacity with PG&E managing the engineering, operations and environmental functions of the El Dorado and Chili Bar Hydroelectric Projects over a 9-year period from 1984 – 1993. A key asset that Mr. Kessler provides as a result of having served in the broad role of managing engineering, operations and environmental activities, is the ability to integrate this broad system knowledge and understanding of needs to support the planning, organizing and direction of all engineering and environmental activities related to environmental assessments according to NEPA and CEQA.
Mr. Kessler also has unique experiences in being familiar with and applying NEPA processes for pre- and post-licensing activities under FERC’s regulations for hydroelectric facilities. Specific to the El Dorado Hydroelectric Project, Mr. Kessler managed the pre-filing phase of the FERC relicensing for EID. As an example of post-licensing activities, Mr. Kessler personally prepared or otherwise managed others to prepare all of the resource management plans to support Utica Power Authority’s compliance with conditions of its FERC licenses for the Utica and Angels Hydroelectric Projects.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
Environmental Performance Report of California’s Electric Generation Facilities
Co-authored the California Energy Commission’s 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 Water and Biological Resources Sections, providing research and analysis of trends in power plant water resource utilization affected by technological changes, improved environmental safeguards, regulatory influences in market development, and strategies for managing diminishing supplies of fresh water related to power plant use;
HONORS AND AWARDS:
• Recognition of Contributions to 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report – California Energy Commission, 2007;
• Outstanding Performance Award from the California Energy Commission, 2001;
• Outstanding Achievement Award for Transfer of the El Dorado Hydroelectric Project from PG&E to the El Dorado Irrigation District – EID, 1999;
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
• American Society of Civil Engineers