Generation & Load Opt Lead

Job Summary

The Generation & Load Optimization Lead supports the development of long-term generation and resource planning strategies to meet the utility's large load portfolio requirements. This role focuses on data analysis, data and deal governance, modeling, and scenario planning to evaluate generation portfolio options focused on supporting large load opportunities.

Essential Functions

• Provide bespoke deal support and analysis for individual large load customers, ensuring input and assumption consistency with respect to Integrated Resourcing Planning (IRP).
• Distill ambiguity surrounding load and resource availability into future projections and analysis.
• Analyze system capacity, reliability, and cost impacts under various load growth and resource availability scenarios.
• Support studies and location decisions needed to assess the impact of new large load customers (e.g., data centers, industrial users) on the generation and transmission systems.
• Collaborate with transmission and gas planning teams to ensure coordinated system development and cost analysis as it relates to location-centric planning.
• Prepare technical reports, deal economics and presentations as it relates to the large load portfolio.
• Analyze complex portfolio, customer, and system planning data and present key insights, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership to support informed decision-making.
• Maintain accurate records of modeling assumptions, methodologies, and results at the individual deal and portfolio level.
• Work closely with planning, engineering, regulatory, and customer development teams to align analysis with strategic goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Energy Systems, Economics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in load forecasting, utility planning, energy modeling, capacity expansion planning or data analysis
• Knowledge of utility generation planning, IRP processes, and regulatory environments
• Strong analytical and modeling skills to evaluate generation, capacity, reliability, and cost scenarios
• Ability to support large load integration studies and location-based system impact analysis
• Proficiency with energy and capacity expansion modeling tools (e.g., PLEXOS, Aurora or similar)
• Skill in translating complex data and assumptions into clear reports, deal economics, and presentations
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with planning, engineering, regulatory, and customer teams
• Proficient in SQL, R or python
• Knowledge of NIPSCO and Columbia Gas systems

Preferred Additional Qualifications

• Experience with large load integration studies or economic development support