Lamis El Didi Appointed to WEI Board of Directors

Exponent construction consulting principal to serve three-year term on Western Energy Institute's board of directors

Lamis El Didi, a principal in Exponent's Construction Consulting practice, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Western Energy Institute (WEI), a non-profit utility association. WEI was formed in 2000, combining the Western Electric Power Institute and the Pacific Coast Gas Association. More than 80 energy companies from 20 U.S. states and Canadian provinces are members of WEI. The organization provides members with insights from peers and experts, networking opportunities, forums, and other collaborative ways to discuss emerging issues in the utilities industry.

"I am honored to have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of WEI at such a critical and exciting time for the industry, and I want to thank the WEI community for their trust and confidence in me," says Ms. El Didi. "I am excited to contribute to the important role of WEI in shaping the future of energy and look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members, utility members, and service companies to advance our shared goals and address the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Ms. El Didi has expertise in all phases of construction projects and advises clients on a range of topics from risk assessments, audits, compliance, and governance to process improvements and project, program, and portfolio management and controls. She leads multidisciplinary teams across Exponent to help solve complex engineering, science, regulatory, and business challenges facing electric and gas utilities today. She advises utility clients throughout the entire capital investment and execution process from asset strategy and planning, project development, and investment plan development to work plan development, execution, and change control.

Increasingly, this work is future-focused, supporting clients as they strive to meet decarbonizations goals through innovative solutions; navigate the complexities of vast, dispersed aging assets and climate change; and respond to extreme weather events and safety incidents rapidly, leveraging data, technology, and sound engineering principles to serve customers safely and reliably.

Among her many client engagements at Exponent, Ms. El Didi has worked closely with large public utility entities such as Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison (SCE) on projects to quantify the risks associated with climate change, including wildfires, and assess the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. She was part of the team that conducted California's first climate adaptation vulnerability assessment (CAVA) for SCE in 2022. She also assists utilities with setting up and managing the project management organizations to execute and deliver on their large capital electric transmission and distribution programs such as Capacity and Reliability, System Hardening, Undergrounding, Wildfire Mitigation Programs, Pole Replacements, and Large Load Interconnections.

Before Exponent, Ms. El Didi held several construction management roles on large infrastructure, transportation, and power projects in the MENA region, including the construction of the Tebbein Thermal Power Plant, the Nile River Ferry in Egypt, and the Al Haramein High-Speed Railway Project in Saudi Arabia.

See the full announcement from WEI here.