The boundary element/exponential approximation technique for calculating the loaded straight wire horizontally located above a dissipative half-space is presented. The influence of a lossy ground is taken into account via Sommerfeld integrals appearing within the kernel of the electric field integral equation for thin wire. These integrals are computed by means of the exponential approximation technique. The resulting integral equation for loaded wire above an imperfect earth is solved by the boundary element method. Numerical results are obtained for current distribution along a resistively loaded dipole antenna and along a transmission line of a finite length.