Renewable Ops Center Operator

About the role

Arizona Public Service generates reliable, affordable and clean energy for 2.7 million Arizonans. As the state’s largest and longest-serving energy provider, our more than 6,000 dedicated employees power our vision of creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona. Summary The Renewable Operations Center Operator coordinates the day-to-day operations activities for a diverse portfolio of renewable generating facilities (including Solar, Energy Storage and Micro-grid installations) from a set of computer consoles within a 24/7 control center. Performs monitoring activities by identifying and initiating appropriate responses for alarm conditions that may place safety or production at risk. Implements all applicable obligations as they apply to real-time operations fleet-wide.Works in a high stress environment where decisions directly impact personnel safety and equipment reliability.

Responsibilities

• Performs system monitoring activities to anticipate and mitigate any system problems or issues and to recognize any high priority alarm conditions that may place the company at risk under applicable operating contracts and regulations.
• Reports capacity in real-time.
• Reports outages and ensures the forecasting system will capture any outages impact for subsequent hours by logging shortfalls.
• Maintains operator log for: tracking; capacity offline (to ensure accurate up-to-date forecasting); trouble conditions and status (for purposes of turnover); control actions implemented at the site; and interactions with external regulatory entities.
• Operates and monitors multiple power plant control system technologies across the fleet which requires mastery of multiple monitoring and control platforms.
• Take directions; identifies problems; conducts independent analysis and in collaboration with others (e.g., field technicians and engineers) and develops solutions.
• Creates work order in Maximo work tracking system.
• Initiates and documents an appropriate alarm response for all trouble indications.
• Coordinates immediate response for high-risk or high-impact trouble indications.
• Documents low-impact and low-risk trouble indications for planned response.
• Provides all notifications required to Transmission Provider, Scheduling entity and others.
• Provides safety review for any procedure written to a specific task by the maintenance team.
• For any medium voltage or high voltage switching operations, ensures that minimum isolation requirements are met according to O&M policies, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements.
• Ensures switching instructions are consistent with good utility practice.

Requirements

• A two-year Associates degree in an applicable technology area (e.g., electric power, electronics, mechanics or hydraulics)
• Plus two (2) years of solar and/or generation plant maintenance, construction and/or operations experience.
• In lieu of Associates degree, combination of college coursework and/or experience in solar and/or generation plant maintenance, construction and/or operations positions equaling four (4) years.
• Technical knowledge of general plant and system processes (Solar, Energy Storage, Wind, Micro-grid, Generation), electrical and SCADA systems.
• Technical knowledge in analyzing equipment performance and identifying performance issues using software tools.
• Ability to work rotating shifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with plant SCADA systems and work management systems (e.g., Maximo).
• Understanding of electronic power system protection equipment purpose and behavior.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook.