Academic Credentials
  • M.B.A., Business Administration/Management, Santa Clara University, 1985
  • E.E., HTL, Sweden, 1960
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Control System, California, #3793
Professional Honors
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (Life Fellow)
  • 2012 IEEE PES Nari Hingorani FACTS Award
  • Prize paper award IEEE - PES (1986)
  • Prize paper awards, IEEE-PES Substations committee (1985 and 1986)
  • U.S. National Committee—International Council on large Electrical Systems (CIGRÉ): 2012
  • CIGRE U.S. National Committee Philip Sporn Award; 2012
  • CIGRE Technical Committee Award - CIGRE Distinguished Member Award for active participation in CIGRE Study Committees and the USNC of CIGRE (2006)
  • CIGRE USNC Attwood Associate Award (2003)
Professional Affiliations
  • IEEE
  • International Council on large Electrical Systems (CIGRÉ)
  • Past Regular Member representing the United States to and past Secretary for Study Committee B4, HVDC and Power Electronics, CIGRÉ
  • Past member of the IEEE Standards Board
  • IEEE-Power Engineering Society's (PES) Transmission and Distribution Committee (Past Chair)
Languages
  • Swedish
  • German

Mr. Nilsson has more than 40 years of experience as an electrical engineer involved with a wide variety of electrical engineering and management disciplines. At Exponent, he has consulted on design, construction, operation and maintenance of electrical facilities, accidents involving electric equipment, consumer electronics products including CPSC recall cases, electric battery failures, due diligence related to investments in new technologies and mergers and acquisitions, software issues, power supplies for consumer products as well as power electronic systems for industrial and electric utility applications.

Mr. Nilsson has investigated failures of large transformers and transformer bushings, circuit breakers, underground cable vault equipment failures, complex faults involving electric utility transmission and distribution systems and other electric equipment performance issues both nationally and internationally. He has also evaluated patents, patent validity and infringement claims.

Prior to joining Exponent, Mr. Nilsson has expertise in software engineering, communication systems, supervisory control, and digital protective relaying systems, as well as off-line and on-line equipment monitoring systems. He also has experience in the design, installation, testing, operation, and maintenance of AC and high-voltage DC stations, as well as with equipment and auxiliary systems used in these facilities. As a part of these activities, he became intimately familiar with critical path methods for project management. Mr. Nilsson has analyzed numerous equipment failures and power system disturbances, including assessing damages and developing restoration strategies after earthquakes and other similar disasters. He was engaged as an expert auditor to assess the utility industry's readiness for the transitions into the year 2000.

Mr. Nilsson has also consulted to major corporations on strategic business planning and market analysis and has led developments of new power electronic systems used for transmission of power and converters for power quality, distributed generation, or electric drives applications. Mr. Nilsson has served as Executive Vice President of Silicon Power Corporation, Corporate Vice President for Energy Management & Research, Inc., Executive Engineer at EPRI, Program Manager at Boeing Computer Services, Control System and Project Engineer at ABB, and Maintenance Engineer at the Swedish State Telephone Board. Mr. Nilsson served in the military in Sweden as a communications technician.

Recent Projects