12 12 24 PSEG West Orange BOA ZB 24 06 PSEG 35 Mt Pleasant Ave Condensed

65b96228-b9ab-4f72-9291-fa4a14ff04c8 28 (Pages 109 to 112) Page 109 1 get this started, maybe throughout the direct 2 testimony. 3 This would be Robin Blanton. 4 CHAIRMAN NEUER: Ms. Brill, will you 5 try to find Robin Blanton. 6 MS. BRILL: Sure, he's raising his 7 hand. 8 I'm moving him over right now. 9 There he is. 10 CHAIRMAN NEUER: There he is, is right. 11 Welcome, Mr. Blanton. Your microphone 12 is off, sir, you have to turn it on. 13 Now it's on. 14 Mr. DeLuca, would you be so kind as to 15 swear the witness? 16 MR. DeLUCA: Certainly. 17 Mr. Blanton, if you could please raise 18 your right hand. 19 Do you solemnly swear to tell the 20 truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? 21 MR. BLANTON: I do. 22 R O B I N B L A N T O N, PE 23 P.O. Box 1351, Raleigh, NC, having been duly 24 sworn, testifies as follows: 25 MR. DeLUCA: Thank you. Page 111 1 they have, and I'm also a professional engineer in 11 2 states. 3 And I am also -- and one of those 4 states happens to be New Jersey. 5 Q. And do you provide your expertise in 6 any matters? 7 A. Would you ask that question again, 8 please? 9 Q. Do you provide your expertise in any 10 matters and if so, what would those matters be? 11 A. I have testified before the Rhode 12 Island Public Utilities Commission on some matters 13 relating to Rhode Island energy on plans they're 14 wanting to do. That occurred, I want to say, about 15 six to eight months ago on what they're doing in 16 Rhode Island. 17 And I have also, in the course of my 18 work with utilities as manager of engineering, 19 appeared before zoning boards and city and county 20 commissioners to get approval for not only 21 substations but also upgrades, transmission lines and 22 other facilities that were needed to run the utility. 23 Q. Do you have any experience in the 24 design of substations such as that which is before 25 the board tonight, and if so, could you just Page 110 1 CHAIRMAN NEUER: Mr. Turteltaub? 2 3 VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION 4 BY MR. TURTELTAUB: 5 Q. Mr. Blanton, if you could, could you 6 please give the board the benefit of your background 7 and experiences, please. 8 A. I have a bachelor of science degree in 9 electrical engineering and have worked for utilities 10 since I graduated from Clemson University in 1982. 11 I have experience doing substation 12 design, maintenance and responsibility for substation 13 sighting, and

ring and have worked for utilities 10 since I graduated from Clemson University in 1982. 11 I have experience doing substation 12 design, maintenance and responsibility for substation 13 sighting, and worked for mainly municipal and 14 electric co-ops over the course of my career. 15 And then starting in 2017, started 16 working for a consulting engineering firm and a 17 working -- continue to work for a consulting firm and 18 -- to this day. 19 Q. And when you say a consulting 20 engineering firm, what firm is that and what is your 21 position with that firm? 22 A. At the present time, I have my own 23 consulting engineering firm, R.W. Blanton PLLC. 24 I work with a couple utilities and do 25 consulting and assist other consultants with work Page 112 1 elaborate on that, please? 2 A. I have been responsible for the design 3 of substations that -- the upper voltage is 230kV, 4 which I believe is what this site is, and have, over 5 the course of probably the last 25 years, have been 6 involved in 12 to 15 substation designs. 7 MR. TURTELTAUB: And what I'd like to 8 do, Mr. Chairman, if I could is have Mr. Blanton be 9 qualified as a civil engineer in this matter, as well 10 as with his understanding of electrical facilities, 11 substation facilities such as that's before the board 12 tonight. 13 THE WITNESS: I would like to qualify 14 that be as an electrical engineer, not a civil 15 engineer. 16 MR. TURTELTAUB: I'm sorry, an 17 electrical engineer. 18 My apologies. 19 CHAIRMAN NEUER: My silence is due to 20 taking notes. I am not ignoring either one of you. 21 So that, let's be more specific -- try 22 to be specific. The area of expertise, you're 23 seeking to qualify him as an electrical engineer with 24 experience in substation design. 25 MR. TURTELTAUB: Yes.