Who We Are
Our expertise focuses on the energy, utilities, and telecom industries; it is what we do and where we specialize. To learn more about our industry experts and how we can support your organization, please feel free to contact us.
Charlie Fijnvandraat
Charlie is the principal of fcgEnergy, with thirty years of utility and management consulting experience.
He has held both operations and engineering positions at two of New England's largest utilities, consulted with investor-owned and municipal utilities, provided expert regulatory testimony, and supported the energy sector investment strategy of private equity firms.
Charlie is an active member of various IEEE distribution working groups, including as a contributing author of the P1366 Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices. He previously served as a board member of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), Transmission/Substation TSAC committee.
He is also a frequent speaker at various industry forums including the EEI, IEEE, and the Eaton-sponsored underground network conferences.
Charlie has a BSEE and MBA and is a registered professional engineer in both Connecticut and Hawaii.
Consulting Projects
Recent engagements include:
Communication channel pros and cons: targeting underground equipment SCADA (wireless, power line, ZigBee mesh network, and antenna design and installation)
Smart grid investment and regulatory recovery strategies
Emergency restoration response (ICS and NIMS), with specific focus on urban underground networks
T&D asset management, with strong emphasis on distribution underground and substation assets
Renewable generation system interconnection agreements, with recent work on distribution generation in underground networks
Expert testimonial support on gas- and electric-targeted improvement programs
Optimizing IT strategy, investment, and front-end usability
Private equity investment due diligence
Core Team Expertise
We have a core team of consultants that supports the bulk of our engagements.
Examples of expertise include:
AMI/AMR and net metering strategies
Renewable energy investment and market study assessment
T&D load flow modeling and system planning strategy
Regulator-mandated management auditing
ISO 55000 and PAS 55 asset management standards
RF analog and digital (IC and SOC) design supporting cellular infrastructure and radar sensing for navigational and positioning software
Wireless commercial and military product certification to both domestic (FCC, UL, and CE) and international (RED and ETSI) standards
GPS spectrum management and propagation and clutter loss model development to assess signal strength to propagation and noise levels