Transmission Operations Engineer Jobs in Houston, TX

Calpine, a business unit of Constellation Energy Corporation (Nasdaq: CEG), is America's largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources with operations in competitive power markets. With 79 energy facilities in operation, Calpine’s fleet has the capacity to generate approximately 27,000 MW of electricity – enough to power approximately 27 million homes. Through wholesale power operations and its retail businesses, Calpine serves customers in 22 states and Canada. Its clean, efficient, modern and flexible fleet uses advanced technologies to generate power in a low-carbon and environmentally responsible manner.

The company was established on the premise that a strong commitment to the environment is inextricably linked to excellence in power generation and corporate responsibility. Since its founding in 1984, Calpine has led the power industry in its unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship. In addition, its renewable geothermal plants use steam generated deep below the earth's surface to produce clean, renewable electricity.

Job Summary (includes but is not limited to the following, other duties may be assigned)

Using a variety of automated tools to run electrical flow studies, performs analysis of transmission avenues in support of trading activities to include recommendations of alternative paths which will optimize profits and ensure delivery. Administers integrated transmission agreements. Negotiates and administers interconnections, interchange agreements, and transmission access requests. Prepares economic evaluations and justifications. Duties include analysis and dissemination of information concerning transmission issues including sitting, interconnections, transmission service requests, development activities, plan operation, strategic studies, trading activities, etc.; provides recommendations on transmission issues and their impact on overall power operations. Manages interactions with transmission providers and serves as a transmission operations liaison on all transmission issues.

Job Responsibilities

Job Scope & Technical Excellence

• Electricity market structures, dynamics, and rules; FTR, CRR and TCC trading activities, Power plant operations
• Load flow and nodal price modeling software platforms (such as PSLF, PSSE, PROMOD, UPLAN, Dayzer, etc.) and associated data structures • Should have experience with transmission modeling; analytical applications such as Excel, SQL, Visual Basic, Python, R, SAS, C++, Java/.NET, and other programming languages.
• Provide transmission/power system expertise and analytical support for Calpine’s generation operation, commercial development and strategic origination activities.
• Understanding of ISO market structure and energy commodities.
• Comprehensive knowledge.
• Seasoned professional with advanced applied experience.
• Applies advanced skills contributing to knowledge areas within function, but not yet an expert in all.
• Represents Calpine’s interests on appropriate regional and/or national industry committees, work groups and/or task forces.

Decision Making &Innovation

• Makes recommendations on moderately complex issues regarding project components and tasks.
• May make recommendations on new processes, tools and services; supports and contributes to development of new products, services or techniques.

Work Complexity & Independent Judgment

• Works on problems of diverse scope ranging from moderate to complex.
• Uses independent judgment requiring in-depth analysis of variable factors.
• Collaborates with senior professionals in selection of methods, techniques, and analytical approach.

Self-Management & Leadership 

• Little instruction on day-to-day work, general instructions on new assignments.
• Serves as project/technical lead on small to medium sized projects; may coordinate work of professionals, technicians and others outside of own department.
• This is the most senior skill level without moving to the management or specialist track.

 Communication & Influence

• Resource integrator –builds professional networks and identifies and connects resources to achieve goals.
• Regularly contributes actionable ideas in brainstorming and planning sessions.

Job Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with power systems as focus, mathematics, applied statistics, computer science or data science, economics or commensurate operational experience. Advanced degree in technical fields is highly desirable. Strong analytical and problem solving capability is highly desirable.
• Seasoned professional; typically requires 4 - 6 years experience with most recent two years focused on transmission systems planning and or operation, ISO market operation while working with automated load flow tools and systems. Also requires familiarity with topology, operation of transmission grids and procedures for facilitating electric transmission transactions within various defined market areas.
• Experience and knowledge of sitting issues such as location and possible mitigation of chronically congested areas of the electronic transmission grid. Also requires working knowledge of the major transmission issues associated with local market structure such as congestion management.

Additional Benefit - Hybrid with On-Site in Houston, TX

 Additional Calpine Information

• Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.
• Calpine is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment and need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website or to apply for a position, please send an e-mail with your request to hrrecruitment@calpine.com. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation are made on case-by-case basis.

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