System Operator Tra-Assoc - Sr

El Paso Electric•El Paso, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Supervisor of Transmission Operations, this role is responsible for the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of EPE’s transmission and system and oversight of all control room operations functions. The position involves working with operating and field personnel to safely restore customer load, isolate equipment for maintenance, issuing hot line holds and clearances, and directing/monitoring switching procedures. The role applies reliability tools to acquire situational awareness of anticipated normal and contingency conditions and develops appropriate responses to correct problems and stabilize the interconnected system. Daily maintenance of all substation one-lines and Energy Management System (EMS) displays is required. The position coordinates and executes routine and emergency procedures, as well as power restoration plans in accordance with EPE Switching Standards, and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) reliability standards.

Requirements

Degree in Engineering Technology; or other analytical/technical field with basic knowledge of electric theory or power systems; or an equivalent combination of related training and experience.
One (1) year experience as a System Operator Trainee or an equivalent level of experience on an interconnected electrical system (two (2) years).
NERC operator certification or ability to obtain certification within six (6) months of hire date.
Basic knowledge of electrical principles, procedures and components, power system operations including power plant operations, fundamentals of alternating current circuits, and electrical safety policies and procedures.
Working knowledge in the use of personal computers, and ability to learn specialized software applications.
Ability to project current system conditions to future projections and take appropriate action.
Ability to monitor and apply control system principles rationally to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Must have the ability of communicate in English fluently with all operating personnel responsible for the real-time generation control and operation of the interconnected Bulk Electric System.
Ability to work rotating shifts.
Ability to build relationships and foster teamwork.
Ability to travel for training, seminars, and to represent EPE at industry-related meetings.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with officers, managers, fellow employees, and the public.
Ability to maintain a strong sense of propriety concerning confidential matters.
Valid driver’s license and follow the Company’s Driving Program policy.

Responsibilities

Operating the transmission and distribution systems as safely and reliably as possible while adhering to current NERC and WECC policies and procedures.
Initiating appropriate action in the event of an emergency to return the system to safe and reliable operation, which may involve the shedding of firm load on a manual or timed rotational basis.
Working with operating and field personnel to safely restore customer load, isolate equipment for maintenance, issue hot line holds and clearances, and direct/monitor switching procedures.
Entering requests and data into the Outage Management System (OMS) and monitoring the OMS for the processing of job requests, switching orders, hot line holds and clearances, studies, and coordination of work with adjacent utilities.
Posting outages on the Open Access Same Time Information System (OASIS) and ensuring the accuracy of the outage postings.
Posting scheduled transmission outages on Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Control Room Outage Window (CROW).
Acquiring and maintaining a comprehensive knowledge of EPE’s transmission system including EPE’s capacity rights, as well as an understanding of EPE specialized relay protection schemes.
Ensuring adherence to System Operating Limits (SOL) specifically limits associated with PATH 47 and, as Operating Agent for Southern New Mexico (SNM), ensuring that other SNM entities curtail to their apportioned import amounts during system emergencies.
Coordinating and executing routine and emergency procedures and power restoration plans.
Maintaining situational awareness by using the State Estimator or Dispatcher Load Flow to perform contingency analysis (“what ifs”) and identify potential problems on the system.
Maintaining accurate records and logs of transmission outages associated with other utilities.
Monitoring system conditions by way of voltage profiles, alarms, telemetry, equipment status, System Operating Limits (SOL) limits, EMS applications, etc.
Assisting in preparing reports for management, other utilities, and reserve sharing groups on system disturbances, emergencies, or any unusual operating condition or action.
Adhering to all FERC rules and regulations regarding Standards of Conduct.
Providing updated information about any significant system events to appropriate recipients using EPE’s paging system.
Utilizing PI Historian and the EMS call-back option to determine feeder loading; and utilizing the EMS to control distribution devices such as reclosers.
Operating the phase shifter and coordinating with the System Operator - Generation any adjustments required to maintain adequate El Paso Import Capability (EPIC).
Operating the HVDC tie as well as its associated Static VAR Compensator to import or export power to the Southwest Power Pool region.
Maintaining, daily, all substation one-line and Energy Management System (EMS) displays.
Communicating abnormal system conditions to the SPP Reliability Coordinator (RC).
Complying with all applicable Company policies, procedures and code of ethics as well as all applicable governmental laws and regulations to include employment, safety and environmental standards and regulations.
Performing other related tasks that are not included but are within the context of the duties defined.