Richard Shaheen

Richard Shaheen was named senior vice president of Transmission Services in December 2014. In this role, he is responsible for BPA’s high-voltage transmission grid, including 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage line spanning a 300,000 square mile service area. Specifically, he oversees Transmission System Operations, Planning and Asset Management, Engineering and Technical Services, Field Services, Marketing and Sales, Transmission Technology, Transmission Internal Operations and Aircraft Services.

Shaheen, who is a licensed Professional Engineer, joined BPA in September 2013 as vice president of Transmission Services' Engineering and Technical Services organization. In that role, he oversaw a $500 million capital program, the transmission maintenance program and real property services. Additionally, he served as BPA's principal engineer and key policy formulator in leading the design, material specification, coordination, project management and construction of major transmission infrastructure projects necessary to sustain and improve the reliability of the existing transmission system and incorporate new generation facilities.

Prior to joining BPA, Shaheen was an executive with Florida Power and Light. As FPL's senior director for Engineering and Technical Services, and previously as leader of Distribution and Transmission Operations, Shaheen drove critical business initiatives in engineering and project management, process and technology improvements, system reliability, smart grid, environmental services, safety and compliance. He also received FPL's highest quality award for his reliability team, and while leading Operations, he improved safety performance levels and achieved the Distribution and Transmission business unit’s lowest recordable accident rate by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Based on reliability performance reported to the Florida Public Service Commission, FPL was number one among Florida's investor-owned utilities for five years running.

Shaheen holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s in business administration from Florida Atlantic University. He is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

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