FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EMPACT Engineering and JH Land Consultants Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Utility Vegetation Management and Wildfire Risk Reduction
Navasota, Texas – September 1, 2026 – EMPACT Engineering, a leader in geospatial engineering, LiDAR analytics, and system-wide vegetation risk assessment, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with JH Land Consultants, a respected provider of utility vegetation management, forestry, and wildfire mitigation consulting services. Together, the two firms will provide electric utilities with comprehensive solutions that combine advanced geospatial technology with decades of practical field experience.
Many electric utilities recognize the growing operational, regulatory, financial, and liability risks associated with wildfires, but may not have the internal experience or resources needed to develop a comprehensive and defensible plan. In some cases, they may also need a qualified Independent Expert to objectively evaluate their plan and provide the required analysis. This partnership brings together complementary expertise and personnel to enable utilities to strengthen vegetation management programs, improve system reliability, reduce wildfire risk, and meet evolving regulatory requirements so that utilities can better serve their members.
EMPACT Engineering specializes in geospatial analytics, LiDAR-based vegetation and asset assessments, wildfire risk modeling, engineering support, and regulatory compliance services, including the development of Wildfire Mitigation Plans and Independent Expert Analysis. JH Land Consultants contributes extensive experience in utility vegetation management, forestry, tree risk assessment, fuel reduction, environmental compliance, and field operations.
JH Land Consultants founder, Joe Hiss, brings more than three decades of experience helping utilities address complex vegetation management and environmental challenges across both private and federal lands. His expertise spans strategic program development, regulatory compliance, and field implementation, providing utilities with practical, cost-effective solutions tailored to their operational needs. His experience adds proven, utility-specific knowledge to EMPACT’s existing engineering, system analysis, and Elume EVI capabilities.
“Pairing our geospatial technology with JH Land’s field experience gives utilities a clearer, more defensible picture of their risk,” said Cy Terral, Vice President of Client Services at EMPACT Engineering. “By bridging the gap between advanced analytics and real-world implementation, we can ultimately provide a faster path from data to decisions.”
Joe Hiss, Principal of JH Land Consultants, added, “Utilities are facing increasing challenges from vegetation-related outages, wildfire risk, extreme weather events, and evolving regulatory expectations. Together, we offer clients the ability to accurately identify risk and develop practical, cost-effective mitigation strategies. Our combined experience enables us to support both the strategic planning and field execution necessary to build effective, defensible, and sustainable vegetation management programs.”
The partnership will support investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and public agencies through services including:
- Utility Vegetation Management program development and optimization
- Wildfire Mitigation Planning and implementation support
- Independent Expert Analysis and regulatory compliance
- LiDAR-based vegetation and asset risk assessments
- Tree risk assessments and hazard tree management
- GIS analysis and geospatial data solutions
- Right-of-way planning and vegetation management strategy
- Grid resilience and infrastructure risk reduction
By integrating advanced analytics with field-based expertise, EMPACT Engineering and JH Land Consultants will help utilities identify and prioritize risk, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen regulatory readiness to build more resilient electric systems and rise to the challenge of today’s wildfire and reliability concerns.
About EMPACT Engineering
EMPACT Engineering helps electric utilities find a better way to manage wildfire and vegetation-related risk. Through advanced geospatial analytics, LiDAR technology, and hands-on engineering expertise, EMPACT turns complex risk data into clear, confident decisions, strengthening reliability and resilience for the communities utilities serve.
About JH Land Consultants
JH Land Consultants provides professional consulting services focused on utility vegetation management, forestry, environmental compliance, and natural resource management. With decades of industry experience, the firm delivers practical, science-based solutions that help utilities safely manage vegetation, reduce wildfire risk, and protect environmental resources.
Media Contacts
EMPACT Engineering
Cy Terral, VP of Client Services
979-324-5597
cy.terral@empactengineering.com
www.empactengineering.com
JH Land Consultants
Joe Hiss, Principal
530-598-1883
joehiss@outlook.com
www.jhlandconsultants.com