Engineer, Interconnection

TerraForm Power•Charlottesville, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Interconnection Engineer supports TerraForm Power’s Real Estate Origination, Development, and Delivery teams from siting strategy through project construction, under the guidance of the Director and senior engineering staff. The role performs grid injection analysis and studies, estimates interconnection costs and schedules, and uses established processes and tools to maintain interconnection databases. It contributes to identifying financially attractive and technically feasible points of interconnection and executes a portfolio of interconnection queue positions supporting the company’s project pipeline, with increasing independence as expertise develops. The position supports projects through construction by assisting with the negotiation and execution of Interconnection Agreements, aligning milestone schedules with equipment procurement and construction timelines, and coordinating with utilities and EPC partners. It also supports compliance with interconnection agreement obligations during construction and helps projects integrate into commercial operations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
At least 3 years of experience supporting transmission generator design and interconnection processes.
Broad technical understanding of transmission, including the ability to perform cost-benefit analyses of design variants to optimize project outcomes.
Understanding of NERC and IEEE standards.
Ability to interpret RTO/ISO tariffs and regulations, equipment data sheets, construction drawings, and project documentation for technical requirements.
Impeccable attention to detail and commitment to quality work product.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
High energy, ability to respond well to pressure, and ability to work to deadlines.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Effective communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships internally and trust externally.
Integrity, tenacity, credibility, a bias for action, and a strong sense of personal accountability.
Creativity in problem solving.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with PJM, ISO-NE, CAISO, SPP, MISO, and SERC grids and interconnection processes.
Experience in greenfield development, repowering, and/or adding battery energy storage systems to projects.
Experience with PSCAD, PSSE, or ASPEN software.
A joyful approach to work and life, combined with a sense of humor.

Responsibilities

Support the Real Estate Origination team in identifying technically feasible and economically advantageous grid interconnection points.
Submit interconnection requests to applicable utilities, ISOs, and RTOs.
Work with consultants to prepare power flow, dynamic, and fault models for interconnection requests.
Interpret interconnection study results and negotiate with utilities to achieve economic interconnection solutions.
Support the Development Team on interconnection processes, infrastructure, costs, and related development matters.
Support the Delivery Team by aligning project milestones, ensuring compliance with interconnection agreements and regulations, and submitting required documentation to utilities, ISOs, and RTOs.
Review interconnection agreements to ensure schedules, costs, equipment, and other commitments align with internal stakeholders.
Review and interpret injection studies performed by third-party consultants, escalating complex technical issues to senior engineering staff as needed.
Support interconnection processes for TerraForm Power projects, including interactions with utilities and ISOs and participation in scoping calls.
Create preliminary interconnection documentation and model AC system parameters as inputs to project design, as appropriate.
Perform cost-benefit analyses of interconnection variants to optimize project economics and minimize interconnection risk.
Review, comment on, and summarize injection, feasibility, system impact, and facilities study reports.
Maintain a strong understanding of technical and procedural interconnection requirements in target markets.
Seek new and creative approaches to the interconnection process.
Support project economics modeling by providing technical and financial model inputs for greenfield development and acquisition due diligence.
Maintain and update TerraForm Power’s interconnection database.
Develop and improve standards, processes, and tools for the interconnection workflow and calculation of relevant system parameters.
Manage third-party consultants as required.
Perform other duties as assigned.