All Mini Courses are pre-recorded and can be accessed on your schedule. Courses can be completed on your own time and at your own pace. Once you have completed registration, we will send you a unique login to enter the site. Students will earn Professional Development hours (PDH) or CEU’s for completion of the mini-course and its corresponding course evaluation. The link to the course evaluation will be emailed to students.
Companies with groups of 3 or more people interested in registering will be given a discount and they should contact 320.629.5176 or dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for more information.
The 2023 edition of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) was published on August 1, 2022 and will go into effect on February 1, 2023. The NESC is the national standard for safety in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of electric utility systems.
Even if compliance with the NESC is not legally enforced, employees of utilities, as well as their consultants and contractors have a moral responsibility to design, construct, operate and maintain electric and communication systems in a safe manner. When incidents involving utility systems cause death, injury, and property damage, litigation is often based on claims of non-compliance with the NESC.
Program Highlights
Who Should Take This Course
Selected Major updates to the 2023 Edition:
This course does not have prerequisites and does not require advance preparation; however, familiarity with the NESC will be helpful in gaining a more in-depth understanding of the code changes and their ramifications.
This course is approximately 3 hours in length with 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3 CEU’s.
Cost: $295.00/student. Companies with 3 or more students will be given a discount. Please email dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for details.
Course leaders will present an overview of the conditions and defects that are typically encountered on overhead lines and will summarize the requirements of the NESC with respect to overhead line inspection, testing and correction of conditions and defects. They will also share examples of policies, procedures and best practices for ensuring that your organization and employees are prepared to recognize, mitigate, report and correct hazards in a timely manner.
Course Features:
Course Content
This course is approximately 3 hours and 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3CEU’s. It will cover:
This course is approximately 3 hours in length with 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3 CEU’s.
Cost: $295.00/student. Companies with 3 or more students will be given a discount. Please email dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for details.
Course leaders will present an overview of electric and telecommunication line joint use including benefits, historical and regulatory context and current trends. They will also describe management and engineering “best practices” which, with proper application, can result in line designs that are safer, more reliable, and in compliance with the requirements of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and professional engineering laws and regulations.
Course Features:
Course Content
This course is approximately 3 hours and 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3CEU’s. It will cover: It will cover:
This course is approximately 3 hours in length with 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3 CEU’s.
Cost: $295.00/student. Companies with 3 or more students will be given a discount. Please email dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for details.
This in-depth webinar series will help utility line design professionals better understand the physical and electrical characteristics, as well as the engineering design and installation requirements for overhead line conductors and cables.
Course Features:
Course Content
This course is approximately 3 hours and 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3CEU’s. It will cover: It will cover:
This course is approximately 3 hours in length with 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .3 CEU’s.
Cost: $295.00/student. Companies with 3 or more students will be given a discount. Please email dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for details.
This program is designed to present a non-technical overview of the electric utility industry in its operating and business management context. Learn about the regulatory structure and competitive aspects of the electric utility industry. Explore the system infrastructure from power grid to meter, its operation, performance and development. Familiarize yourself with the strategic issues and trends that are impacting local electric utilities and challenging the traditional utility business model.
PDH or CEU’s will be awarded.
Course Features:
Who Should Take this Course
This program has value for those who work in and with electric utilities, including those without a technical background:
This course is approximately 6 hours in length (2 3-hour sessions) with 6.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or .6 CEU’s.
Cost: $600.00/student. Companies with 3 or more students will be given a discount. Please email dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu for details.
R. John Miner, Tom Black, Erich Schoennagel and Ted Dimberio are effective and experienced adult education instructors with extensive electric utility engineering, operations, safety and management experience. All four have worked with the NESC throughout their careers. Collaborative Learning (CL) has delivered NESC programs to a wide range of audiences throughout the U.S for more than 25 years.
R. John Miner, P.E. is an accomplished executive manager and educator with over forty-five years of experience in the electric utility industry. He is president of Collaborative Learning, Inc. of Austin and San Antonio, Texas, a firm that presents management and technical education programs and, through Collaboration Unlimited, provides management consulting services to the electric utility industry. John’s technical seminars and workshops for utilities have covered such topics as application of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), overhead and underground distribution systems, electric system planning, construction, operations, and maintenance. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering (with honors), and a Master of Science degree in engineering science, both from the University of Toledo. John is a Senior Life Member of the IEEE and is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Texas and Minnesota.
Tom Black, P.E is an accomplished engineer and executive manager who works with Collaborative Learning as a technical consultant and continuing education program developer and instructor. Tom has more than thirty-five (35) years of experience in the electric and gas utility industries including employment with both municipal and Investor-owned utilities. Tom teaches courses on such topics as electrical distribution principles, overhead and underground distribution systems, the NESC, electric system planning, construction, operations, and maintenance. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis (with honors) and is a registered professional engineer in the states of Colorado and Arizona. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
All training programs are delivered over the internet and provide several sample and practice problems. You will obtain access to each purchased training program for two months once your registration is complete. You will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to set up your Star ID and password. It is critical to keep this information.
All training programs are delivered over the internet and provide several sample and practice problems. You will obtain access to each purchased training program for two months once your registration is complete. You will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to set up your Star ID and password. It is critical to keep this information. You will be prompted to use your Star ID and password to access course material.
Line Design Professionals seeking AULDP certification must successfully pass examinations for each Basic Skill and Line Design Function competency. Prior to taking the examinations, line designers must meet the line design work experience requirements.
Each competency examination is 1-2 hours long and can be accessed through the link below after you complete your registration. Examination cost does not include any re-take examination. Examinations are taken at the utility office, are closed book and must be supervised by the engineering or human resource manager. Participants will be immediately notified if they passed or failed upon completion. AULDP will send a certificate for each level successfully completed. You will be allowed to include the AULDP designated Credential after your name.
Overall Line Design Accountabilities and Best Practices
Elements of Line Design and Best Practices
| Course | Level | Hours | Cost |
| Mathematic Fundamentals | Level 1 | 15 | $375 |
| Surveying Fundamentals | Level 1 | 12 | $300 |
| Electricity Fundamentals | Level 1 | 12 | $300 |
| Engineering Economics | Level 1 | 12 | $300 |
| Conductor Characteristics | Level 1 | 12 | $300 |
| Algebra & Trigonometry | Level 2 | 15 | $375 |
| Electrical Consumption | Level 2 | 12 | $300 |
| NESC Lookup | Level 2 | 15 | $375 |
| Statics & Mechanical Fundamentals | Level 2 | 10 | $250 |
| Sag & Tension | Level 2 | 12 | $300 |
| Insulator Strength | Level 3 | 10 | $250 |
| Pole Strength | Level 3 | 12 | $300 |
| Guy Scheme Strength | Level 3 | 15 | $375 |
| Cross arm Strength | Level 3 | 15 | $375 |
| Clearance Between Conductors | Level 3 | 10 | $250 |
| Conductor Uplift | Level 4 | 10 | $250 |
| Vertical Ground Clearance | Level 4 | 12 | $300 |
| Horizontal Clearance | Level 4 | 10 | $250 |
| Transmission Clearance | Level 4 | 12 | $300 |
| Joint Use | Level 4 | 12 | $300 |
| Exam | Level | Hours | Cost | |
| Mathematic Fundamentals Exam | Level 1 | 2 | $80 | |
| Surveying Fundamentals Exam | Level 1 | 2 | $80 | |
| Electricity Fundamentals Exam | Level 1 | 1.5 | $60 | |
| Engineering Economics Exam | Level 1 | 2 | $80 | |
| Conductor Characteristics Exam | Level 1 | 1 | $40 | |
| Algebra & Trigonometry Exam | Level 2 | 2 | $80 | |
| Electrical Consumption Exam | Level 2 | 2 | $80 | |
| NESC Lookup Exam | Level 2 | 2 | $80 | |
| Statics & Mechanical Fundamentals Exam | Level 2 | 1 | $40 | |
| Sag & Tension Exam | Level 2 | 1 | $40 | |
| Insulator Strength Exam | Level 3 | 1 | $40 | |
| Pole Strength Exam | Level 3 | 1 | $40 | |
| Guy Scheme Strength Exam | Level 3 | 1 | $40 | |
| Cross arm Strength Exam | Level 3 | 1 | $40 | |
| Clearance Between Conductors Exam | Level 3 | 1 | $40 | |
| Conductor Uplift Exam | Level 4 | 1 | $40 | |
| Vertical Ground Clearance Exam | Level 4 | 1 | $40 | |
| Horizontal Clearance Exam | Level 4 | 1 | $40 | |
| Transmission Clearance Exam | Level 4 | 1 | $40 | |
| Joint Use Exam | Level 4 | 1 | $40 |
To register, please contact Di Abrahamsen at 320-629-5176 or dianna.abrahamsen*AT*pine.edu with your desired courses. You will be provided with a link to register online.
You will obtain access to each purchased training program for two months once your registration is complete. You will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to set up your Star ID and password. It is critical to keep this information. You will be prompted to use your Star ID and password to access course material.
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