David Khani, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, P.Eng, lead engineer of National Grid, Downstate, New York, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Khani is a visionary leader in both conventional and renewable energy industries, possessing extensive expertise in engineering, capital complex construction, and the operation and integration of large-scale utility projects. His skills encompass team leadership, business development, management, operations, financial oversight, P&L, investment, advanced pipelines, transmission and distribution, integrity, asset management, and various energy sectors, including natural gas, oil, water, wastewater, hydropower, hydroelectric, wind farms, solar farms, battery storage systems, and power generation systems.
He is also well versed in integrated risk-informed decision support, planning, resource optimization systems, operational simulation and optimization, project management, advanced hydraulics, hydraulic transients, pressure surge control, water hammer, pressure regulation and metering stations (M&R), instrumentation and control (I&C), research and development, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), artificial intelligence, artificial neural networks, leak detection, and civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering.
National Grid in Downstate New York is a utility company operating in the U.S. and U.K. that delivers affordable energy resources, including natural gas, electricity, and renewable energies, safely, reliably, and efficiently to the customers and communities it serves.
Before joining National Grid, Khani accumulated over 16 years of experience with various energy utilities and consulting firms in the U.S. and Canada, including HydraTek & Associates | Hydraulic and Energy Investigations, SaskPower, Stantec, and WSP, where he held several leadership roles in engineering, operations, and energy asset management working for major clients such as Pacific Gas & Electric in California. Khani has published several articles and received research grants from National Grid , University of North Dakota, and from USGS.gov through a fellowship award from NDWRRI.
He has managed projects of varying complexity, with contract values ranging from $5,000 to $2 million, and overall construction costs from $100,000 to $1.2 billion. He is a recognized member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) and has participated in the Order of the Engineer Ceremony, volunteering in several public and professional engineering activities.
Khani received his doctorate in civil engineering from the University of North Dakota in 2022 and was nominated for the Doctoral Excellence in Dissertation Writing Award. He obtained his U.S. Permanent Residency through the prestigious EB-1A Extraordinary Ability immigration program, also known as the "Einstein Visa," based on his significant contributions to the fields of engineering and sciences.
