Naturener USA-posted 3 months ago
Full-time • Mid Level
Great Falls, MT
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities

The System Operator manages Balancing Authority (BA), Generator Owner (GO), and Generator Operator (GOP) operations, hourly optimization for the purpose of positively impacting the assets P&L, forecasting, hourly scheduling of interchange transactions, monitoring, and reporting of real-time functions from BHE Montana's Network Operations Center (NOC). These responsibilities include real-time operation of the Company's balancing authorities, generation projects, and scheduling of third-party energy resources, while ensuring grid reliability and continuous compliance with all NERC, and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), BA, GO, and GOP reliability standard requirements. This position also requires compliance with Alberta Reliability Standards (ARS), and AESO ISO rules for dispatch of Generator Owner (GO), and Generator Operator (GOP) operations in Alberta. Monitors and exercises independent judgment in the safe, reliable, and economic operation of generation assets based on guidelines provided by North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Operating Policies, Regional Council Policies and Operating Procedures, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC) Standards of Conduct for normal, emergency and restoration conditions. Responsible for the coordination with third-party energy trading groups and as directed by third party trading groups, resubmittal of price/quantity pairs due to unplanned unit outages. The System Operator position is also responsible for providing training to Associate System Operators. The System Operator assists with the development, tracking, and monitoring of compliance training/programs, policies, procedures, and standards to meet compliance requirements. The System Operator provides key information and operational reports to direct supervision and senior management.

  • Manage and execute an hourly resource strategy to optimally balance Company's resource position within all NERC, FERC, WECC and other regulatory compliance obligations.
  • Reviews and approves substation switching, provides feedback to Field Personal, Site Manager and NOC Manager as required.
  • Ensure safe, reliable and economic operation of the Company's facilities, balancing authorities and generation projects in compliance with applicable NERC and WECC BA, GO, and GOP reliability standards, and adhering to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) security measures.
  • Respond to system disturbances involving generation, substation, and transmission equipment, taking appropriate steps in conjunction with the Transmission Operator and Reliability Coordinator.
  • Provide oversight for daily balancing authority reliability and comprehensive knowledge for the responsible operation of generation assets according to Good Utility Practice criteria and guidelines set by NERC, FERC, and the Regional Reliability Council.
  • During both normal and emergency operating conditions, has the authority to take or direct timely and appropriate real-time actions.
  • Has authority to curtail firm schedules to prevent potential NERC compliance violations due to unplanned outages.
  • Support the operations and maintenance activities by actively managing plant availability and reliability in conjunction with the Site Operations Managers and the Environmental team.
  • Responsible for the review and submission to RC West next day generation plans and availability.
  • Using SCADA operate plant within operational limitations for voltage control as directed by the Transmission provider to ensure regulatory compliance and reliability of the interconnected system.
  • Coordinates requests for equipment outages through the RC West outage scheduler to ensure reliability of the inter-connected system.
  • Serve as liaison between reliability entities and commercial partners to ensure proper balance and optimization of assets given reliability constraints.
  • Manage and purchase reserve positions and ancillary commercial products through bi-lateral contracts, system interfaces/markets, and/or reserve sharing group (RSG)/ Regional Area Control Error (ACE) control arrangements.
  • Verify and confirm hourly and daily schedules through before and after-the-fact check outs and settlement review.
  • Responsible for third-party generation dispatch and scheduling services for other generation projects.
  • Support reporting/settlement duties for the Company's generation projects and third-party generation operations projects, as requested.
  • Provides training within the system operations department as well as to field personnel for writing of switching instructions.
  • Supports the operations, work clearances, substation activities, and maintenance activities by actively managing plant availability and reliability, coordinating outages and including use of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and logging.
  • Perform any additional responsibilities, special assignments as requested or assigned.
  • Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • One to five years of experience in electric operations.
  • Must maintain NERC certification status at the reliability coordinator or Balancing Interchange level.
  • Technical knowledge related to the operation of the interconnected bulk electric system under normal, emergency and restoration conditions.
  • Demonstrate excellent understanding of balancing authority principles and practices, complex generation dispatch and NERC Compliance topics.
  • Familiarity with the functioning of PI Datalink and/or PI Vision.
  • Demonstrated ability to forecast daily generation, evaluate the best economic options to serve our customers, perform agency services, analyze trading activities savings, and multi-task during very stressful conditions.
  • Knowledge of power system economics, especially economic dispatch and generator efficiency characteristics and real-time energy trading.
  • Knowledge of applicable California ISO procedures and practices, with experience in one or more of the following energy markets preferred: WECC interconnection, Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM), Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), PJM.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving, resourcefulness and analytical skills to forecast and evaluate operational problems and optimize energy production while assuring reliability standard and guideline compliance.
  • Familiarity with challenges of wind power generation, forecasting, and scheduling.
  • 401k
  • health_insurance
  • dental_insurance
  • vision_insurance
  • paid_holidays
  • paid_volunteer_time
  • tuition_reimbursement
  • professional_development
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