Jim Thrasher

With an impressive 36 years in the hydro industry, Jim brings a wealth of experience to the table. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management. Jim is also a registered engineer in the state of Virginia, further solidifying his professional standing.

Jim spent 31 years working in their hydro generation group for American Electric Power (AEP). At the time, AEP operated 15 run-of-river projects and one pumped-storage project. His initial role was as a dam safety engineer. Jim was responsible for monitoring piezometers, drill holes, seepage rates, dam stabilization surveys, and preparing annual reports for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Later, Jim transitioned to civil project engineering and management. His work in this capacity involved dam concrete restoration, gate restoration and replacement, intake screen replacements, bulkhead design and installation, diving inspections, and underwater construction.

Jim's career trajectory saw him take on increasingly challenging roles, culminating in his management of the operations of thirteen run-of-river projects. In this position, he demonstrated his leadership skills by overseeing the workforce, managing the budget, coordinating the preventive maintenance program, and ensuring the projects operated at their most optimal level.

Subsequently, Jim became the manager for capital projects. His responsibilities included turbine overhauls and upgrades, generator rewinds, balance of plant overhauls and upgrades, gate hoist replacements, trash rake replacements, and other large-scale projects.

Currently, Jim is a consultant for Thompson/HCMS, where they perform civil engineering work and conduct economic evaluations to optimize the potential of hydro projects.