Joseph R. Reynolds, PE, MEWI, MAE
Principal Forensic Electrical Engineer
Summary
Joseph R. Reynolds, PE, MEWI, MAE is internationally recognized as a forensic electrical engineer and an authority regarding the investigation and evaluation of utility system incidents and equipment failures including electrical contact accidents, fires and explosions. He has served as the team leader and technical director, as well as principal testifier, in large complex investigations and research. Services to the industry have included: conducting forensic root cause analyses of major power generation, transmission, distribution, and telecommunications incidents, system failures, accidents, fires, and equipment condition and performance audit issues; providing recommendations for improved equipment reliability; assessing the expected life and condition of aging equipment for repair/replace options; and addressing prudence issues related to rate base and regulatory hearings.
Mr. Reynolds is the founder and president of RTI Group, LLC based in the US, as well as the founder and chairman of the London based UK firm Reynolds Technological Inquiries Limited, and RTI Ltd, with offices in South America and the Middle East. The RTI companies are an international consultancy of experienced expert witnesses with a new research centre to determine the cause of electrical, material, and mechanical failures. An advance multimedia studio provides the visuals to effectively present our findings. A highly diversified firm, RTI specialized in accident and failure analysis of various size matters involving aviation, marine, rail, telecommunications, power utilities, and high risk industries.
RTI also provides proactive consulting services from Safety Management and Security Risk Assessment to implementation of controls.
Mr. Reynolds has represented public and government utilities, state regulatory commissions, and insurers in numerous electric power matters, including the following examples:
• Appointed by a utility regulator to serve as lead investigator and team manager for the state’s analysis of a high profile and lengthy outage resulting in recommendations to improve system reliability, which were adopted through the legislative rule-making process.
• Provided testimony at a rate base hearing before a state public service commission involving the utility’s handling of unpredictable and highly unusual nuclear reactor component failure, and evaluation of the resulting repair costs.
• Authored several publications on behalf of the Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, including a guideline to assist utilities in improving the reliability of power plant electrical equipment as an alternative to the cost of constructing new plants.
• Evaluated the options to restore the performance of a damaged hydroelectric generator station when compared with the availability of replacement power.
Mr. Reynolds has given expert testimony in arbitration hearings and courts of law, and has appeared before state and federal boards, commissions, counsels, press conferences, and international professional forums.