Cristin Lyons

Partner

Cristin Lyons is a partner with ScottMadden and leads the firm’s transmission, distribution, and smart grid practices. Cristin joined ScottMadden in 1999 and has more than a decade of consulting experience leading and conducting projects for independent transmission companies, integrated utilities, and merchant transmission entities. She specializes in transmission operations, project management, merger and acquisition integration, and process development and improvement. A graduate of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, Cristin earned a B.A. in political science and Spanish from Gettysburg College and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Specialties

Recent Assignments

Viewpoints

Specialties

Transmission operations
Organizational design and restructuring
Mergers and acquisition integration
Vendor selection and negotiation
Operations improvement and process redesign
Smart Grid

Recent Assignments

Led a project to develop a series of strategic initiatives for a T&D organization to improve its capital project-planning process which included benchmarking of capital project planning and project management activities across multiple T&D organizations
Managed the effort to build a new capital project planning process for a T&D utility which included a project prioritization process and stage-gating approvals
Developed the strategic initiatives and plan to establish a new asset management function at a T&D utility. Work included analysis of the existing functions within the engineering organization and external benchmarking of asset management practices in T&D. Helped the client stand up the new organization
Performed an assessment of the system operations function of a cooperative to identify opportunities to restructure and align the organization to meet evolving requirements
Led the effort to establish program management offices to manage both a smart grid investment grant and a smart grid demonstration grant for a large T&D utility. The effort included creating the necessary project management infrastructure as well as the required DOE and ARRA reporting including EVM
Developed the project controls and EVM reporting necessary to manage a T&D smart grid investment grant for a large integrated utility
Led the project to develop a strategy and implementation plan to stand up an organization and build a transmission control center to manage $1 billion in new transmission assets. Led the project management effort to build the new control center and associated systems
Developed a strategic assessment of the current and future construction market for a transmission and distribution contractor
Developed the business plan for an organization within an integrated utility to develop non-incumbent transmission projects across the United States
Created a governance model for NERC compliance for an independent transmission company in preparation for taking the assets live
Developed an internal management model and associated procedures to manage the development of an independent transmission by a large integrated utility
Led a project to harmonize transmission settlement processes across three operating companies. The work included documentation of current state processes and development of future state policies and processes
Managed the transition of transmission assets to an independent transmission company formed when the client purchased the assets from an integrated utility. Created business processes and organizational design for the new entity. Performed an operational assessment of transmission system operations in light of integration into an RTO
Worked with a newly formed independent transmission company to develop the plan to transition operation and maintenance of recently purchased transmission assets
Served as the project manager to build a transmission operations center. The project included installing a new transmission operation system, building a new facility, upgrading and modifying field RTUs, and implementing the telecommunications network to provide SCADA data to the new system. Developed a strategy to transfer operational control of transmission facilities to the new control center
Managed the integration of the operations function of two transmission companies. The integration effort included implementation of a combined energy management system, procedures, training, and checkout of the SCADA system
Developed an integrated project plan to build a transmission operations center that focused on managing key interdependencies across facilities, IT, EMS, telecom, staffing, and other corporate work streams. Performed a risk assessment of the entire effort
Conducted an assessment of an integrated utility’s documentation to address NERC standards requirements. Identified gaps and developed an implementation plan to address deficiencies
Conducted a review of NERC compliance organization for a Southeastern electric utility. Reviewed encompassed compliance policies and procedures, staffing levels, and organizational structure
Led the pre- and post-close integration effort for a client acquiring transmission assets in four states and ensured coordination across the various integration teams including operations, engineering, HR, facilities, and IT
Performed feasibility studies on two merchant transmission projects to determine whether they were economically feasible based on projected market-clearing prices and existing transmission congestion
Developed an initial project timeline and risk assessment for a client contemplating a $2 billion transmission project
Managed an ongoing transmission benchmarking effort. Included the capital, operations, and maintenance performance of approximately 25 transmission organizations

Contact Information

Phone

(919)781-4191

E-mail

cmlyons@scottmadden.com

v-card

Resume (PDF)