Last year I provided Seven Tips for Building Relationships with Property Owners along Your Transmission Lines, which is a topic we deal with on a consistent basis. I’ve updated that original post based on some of the responses we received. While there’s no way to guarantee a positive outcome, these simple tips can help make a positive outcome more likely. Good luck! 

In my last post, I set the stage to talk about how we at MacKay Sposito use technology to assist our energy and transportation field work spanning multiple states and crossing many a remote area. At the end of that post, I asked folks what tool they use most to get from Point A to Point B and below are the results of that survey:

The Evolution of Not Asking for Directions

I was cleaning out my car the other day.  It’s normally a fairly tame task, in fact the only time it can get a little exciting is when cleaning out under the seats. There’s something about not being able to see what you’re doing, reaching up at awkward angles, rooting around in the wiring and seat railings never knowing what long lost treasure, or trash, you may find. Amongst the spare change and a leaking ink pen, I fished out an old mainstay – a road map. I got a little nostalgic thinking about how things have changed from the last time I pulled out a road map, which is getting close to a decade ago.  It was my tool for driving back and forth across the country while changing duty stations when I was in the military.  The last line of defense from getting lost, and perhaps the only thing worse than getting lost….having to stop and ask for directions.

Energy projects impact many people. Whether it's surveying, designing, or constructing transmission, distribution and substation infrastructure, you’re sure to meet neighboring property owners along the way. If your experience is anything like ours, some are friendly, and some...not so much. It’s important to leave a positive impression on these important stakeholders. Like all relationships, your relationship with these neighbors is a product of a thousand small interactions.