Jonathan Meier, PE

Principal Mechanical Engineer, Hydropower

LOCATION: Roseville, Calif.

Man in glasses and leather jacket stands in driveway beside a blue Ducati motorcycle, with garage and greenery behind.

Large generator rotor being lifted by cranes at a power facility, surrounded by workers and equipment in a wooded setting.

Removing a 420-ton rotor from a 125-megawatt hydro generator for a rewind. This was our solution for a site with no powerhouse crane.

Yellow bulldozer on a dirt site beside a parked dirt bike, with grassy hills under a clear blue sky.

This is what break time looks like when I’m working from home.

Crane lifts an engine from a truck in an outdoor yard with equipment and trees in background.

Dad and I removed and replaced the engine from my Peterbilt. Why buy a running truck when you can learn so much from rebuilding a broken one?

Man and young child wearing ear protection sit on construction equipment, smiling outdoors near trees and dirt work area.

Training my son to wear ear protection.

Two workers in yellow jackets stand beside a bulldozer in a smoky, wooded area

Dad and I working the Walbridge Fire in 2020, which burned over 55,000 acres in Sonoma County, California.

A Conversation With Jonathan:

What path led you into the hydropower industry, and how have those different roles shaped your perspective today?

Hydropower units are rarely identical, and every project brings new challenges. What do you enjoy most about solving those unique engineering problems?

With experience in both mechanical and civil engineering, how do those two disciplines come together in hydropower projects?

You’ve also taught at the university level and mentored early-career engineers. What advice do you give engineers who are just starting out in the hydropower field?

What drew you to GFT, and what excites you about the work you’re doing here today?

How do you like to recharge or spend your free time?

What path led you into the hydropower industry, and how have those different roles shaped your perspective today?

I started my career in the hydropower industry as a consultant, where I developed a strong foundation in technical knowledge and communication skills. I worked for a private utility with a large and diverse hydropower fleet, spending significant time in the field gaining hands-on experience with the equipment and observing the methods used by craftspeople performing maintenance, repairs, and overhauls.

I then worked at a manufacturing and repair shop where large components for hydropower equipment were repaired and overhauled, both in the shop and in the field. I worked alongside talented craftspeople who executed the plans and designs I developed to solve unique and complex problems.

Hydropower units are rarely identical, and every project brings new challenges. What do you enjoy most about solving those unique engineering problems?

I appreciate that hydropower units vary from site to site, as it keeps the work challenging. I have been in this industry long enough to recognize patterns and similarities between units of the same vintage or manufacturer. Sometimes one project can borrow an idea or concept from a previous successful project, but every job still requires an original solution.

With experience in both mechanical and civil engineering, how do those two disciplines come together in hydropower projects?

Hydropower is an industry that lends itself to interdisciplinary work. Every machine requires a foundation for support, which makes an understanding of civil engineering very useful. I have developed plans for disassembling and reassembling large hydropower units, including the rigging, jacking systems, and temporary supports required to handle large components. Analyzing the support and stability of a large machine component is not too different than analyzing a small structure.

“Jonathan strengthens our hydropower team in exactly the way GFT continues to grow: by bringing together deep field experience, technical insight, and a practical understanding of how these systems operate in the real world. He’s a collaborative expert and a natural extension of our expanding mechanical capabilities.”

Randy Bowersox, PE
Vice President and Director, Hydropower

You’ve also taught at the university level and mentored early-career engineers. What advice do you give engineers who are just starting out in the hydropower field?

Get out in the field. Nothing on paper ever looks or feels quite like it does in person, and there is always a wealth of useful observations and information available on site. Talk to everyone, ask questions, and never take anyone for granted.

The people who work on and around the equipment every day know things about it and the facilities that most other people in their organization do not. Some of my most successful solutions started as an idea from someone else who knew the site or the equipment better than I did.

What drew you to GFT, and what excites you about the work you’re doing here today?

GFT has assembled a very talented team of professionals in the hydropower industry. I knew quite a few people at GFT with whom I had worked at previous employers and on previous projects. When I decided I wanted to pivot to a consulting role, GFT felt like a good fit before I even started.

How do you like to recharge or spend your free time?

I love spending time with my family. We live on a small ranch, and there is always work to do outside. I enjoy working on the property with my dad and my 3-year-old son, who is learning what we do to improve and maintain the place. I also keep my dirtbike handy for a quick ride when I need a screen break during the day.

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This Employee Spotlight was originally published on April 16, 2026.