SYSTEM OPERATOR BA-ASSOC-STAFF

El Paso Electric Company•El Paso, TX

13d•$70,100 - $93,788•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the BA Reliability Supervisor, this role is responsible for the economic dispatch and reliable operation of EPE’s generation facilities during normal and emergency system conditions. The BA Operator is responsible for implementing energy schedules, operating the phase shifter, and issuing switching orders for generators operating within EPE’s Balancing Area. This includes processing Real Time Electronic tags (ETags), coordinating and implementing real-time energy and transmission schedules. The role is accountable for maintaining and updating the generator outage database, as well as calculating forced outage rates and forecast error. The position ensures compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) reliability standards in meeting interchange, load, and generation needs as EPE's Balancing Authority.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering or other analytical/technical field with basic knowledge of electric theory or power systems; or an equivalent combination of related training and experience.
NERC operator certification or ability to obtain certification within in (6) months of hire date.
0-5 years or more experience required.
Experience with a utility company in energy or transmission scheduling or dispatch and related System Operations functions.
Intermediate 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.
Knowledge of power system operations, WECC, NERC and FERC mandated industry practices, interchange scheduling, and contract and tariff administration.
Possesses and applies a broad knowledge of energy flows, interchange, accounting practices, data analysis, and research techniques.
Understanding of the regulatory process and issues affecting control areas and transmission providers.
Ability to learn forecasting and research techniques, interpret transmission contracts, administer transmission tariffs, and perform data analysis. In addition, gain an in-depth understanding of the electric regulatory process and issues affecting control areas and transmission providers.
Ability to make presentations and teach new developments of the electric utility field to System Controllers and others.
Operate personal computer, EMS and various software applications used in the scheduling and balancing of energy and transmission.
Must pass NERC Certification exam and obtain a NERC System Operator Certification within (6) months of hire date.
Available to work rotating 12-hour shifts and/or irregular and long hours as required.
Ability to project current system conditions to future projections and take appropriate action.
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.
Ability to travel for training, seminars, and to represent EPE at industry-related meetings.
Ability to work under high stress situations and make critical decisions in a timely manner.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with officers, managers, fellow employees, and the general public.
Ability to maintain a strong sense of propriety concerning confidential matters.

Responsibilities

Performs real-time energy scheduling through verification and coordination of E-Tags and system resource schedules prepared by the company's marketing department.
Performs real-time review and approvals of short-term transmission reservations made through OASIS.
Cross-references E-tag transmission profiles to OASIS transactions to ensure transmission usage by customers agrees to transmission sales terms.
Reconciles and loads schedules to the real-time Scheduling System and assists in the development and implementation of accounting methods to properly confirm and record each transaction with regard to control area, contract compliance and billing requirements.
Monitors daily interchange, tie line meters and inadvertent interchange, checking for accuracy of data, and efficiency of overall system operations, and resolves interchange scheduling disputes with utilities and power marketing entities.
Communicates with outside System Controllers, Schedulers, and parties to transactions to balance all schedules.
Ensures compliance with transmission sales contracts and terms, and monitors transmission rates and capacities and posts curtailment data on the OASIS.
Responsible for the economic dispatch and reliable operation of EPE’s generation facilities during normal and emergency system conditions. Initiates appropriate action in the event of an emergency to return the system to safe and reliable operation.
Works with the Power Marketing Department and Real-time schedulers to coordinate and schedule energy resources to meet system load requirements. Enters energy schedules into EMS for committed sales and purchases.
Responsible for tracking unit commitment and economic dispatch, as well as ensuring generators operate under Automatic Generation Control (AGC).
Issues switching orders to bring online EPE local generators or Southern New Mexico generators operating within the EPE Balancing Area.
Accountable for maintaining and updating the generator outage database, as well as calculating forced outage rates and forecast error.
Monitors generation conditions by way of alarms, telemetry, status, modes of operation, etc.
Adheres to all FERC rules and regulations regarding Standards of Conduct.
Complies 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.
Perform other related tasks that are not included but are within the context of the duties defined.