Substation I Program
NEPPA’s is pleased to offer the Substation I Program which is held in 4-day sessions 4 times a year. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Substation I is designed to be an introduction to substations including safety, design, operation, equipment and theory. Upon successful completion of the Program, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion.
In addition to in-class lecture, the Substation I Program incorporates hands-on application of concepts and testing, field visits and tours of different installations, and weekly testing including a final exam to demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the course content.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for the following:
- Lineworkers or operations employees
- Substation Technicians
- Employees or Supervisors transitioning from other departments
- Engineers
- Construction Supervisors
- Project Managers
Course Dates & Hours
Unless otherwise noted, in-person sessions are held from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Tuesday – Thursday and 8:00am – 11:00 am on Fridays.
Dates are subject to change however advance notice will be provided, as needed.
Session I: March 18 – 21, 2025
Session II: April 8 – 11, 2025
Session III: April 29 – May 2, 2025
Session IV: May 20 – 23, 2025
Location
NEPPA Training Center
200 New Estate Road
Littleton, MA 01460
Learning Objectives
- Recognize safety hazards in a substation
- Demonstrate a foundational knowledge of how electricity is transmitted through substations
- Practice safely entering, exiting and performing maintenance in a substation.
- Apply concepts of the substation’s role in a distribution system.
- Identify and classify equipment found in a substation, including applicable safety precautions including PPE
- Demonstrate an understanding of SCADA, as well as basic switching and tagging.
- Ability to deenergize and reenergize a power transformer
- Recognize applicable standards, specifications and regulations such as OSHA and the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC).
Course Prerequisites
NEPPA’s Basic Electricity and Mathematics for Utility Operations (BEM) Course is held on the first day of the Substation I program to ensure that students are able to demonstrate a solid understanding of basic electricity concepts, theory and mathematics, through prequalification testing.
Instructor
John Lanciani
Trainer
John grew up in Littleton, MA, graduating in 1988 and became an Apprentice Electrician for Interstate Electric. In 1990, he started working for Littleton Electric Light Department as an Apprentice Lineman, completing NEPPA’s Line School in 1994. John worked his way up from Journeyman Lineman to Engineering Technician, gaining skills on the more technical aspects of distribution such as substations, scada and automated distribution. He oversaw the meter department, planning for and installing Littleton Electric Light Department’s first AMR system and upgrading all metering to solid state. In the early 2000s, he worked to upgrade their substation by replacing the oil filled breakers with air insulated as well as replacing all mechanical relays w/ solid state. In 2005, John took on a supervisory role, overseeing line crews for after-hours coverage. He has been involved with public power his whole life, as his father was a lineman in Sterling, MA in the 50’s before becoming the Manager in Paxton and then Littleton. NEPPA is happy to have his expertise as an instructor, helping to expand NEPPA’s training program with this knowledge and experience.
Registration Fees
2025 Registration fees include coffee and lunch each day. If you have any dietary restrictions or considerations, please make note on your registration.
| Members: | $2,900 |
| Non-Members: | $4,300 |
Cancellations
Cancellations are accepted until two weeks prior to the start of the program. Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the start of the first session.
Lodging
Lodging is not included in your registration fees and must be arranged directly with the hotel. If you need overnight accommodations, please visit our lodging information page for discounted rates.