Associate Generation Operator

PacifiCorp; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 89,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k with match (including Roth)

Life insurance

Tuition Assistance

Mass Transit Pass (Portland/Salt Lake)

Job summary

PacifiCorp in Portland seeks a highly technical resource operations professional to maintain Real Power Balance and ensure reliability per NERC, WECC and FERC rules. You will optimize day-ahead and real-time operations, validate CAISO EDAM/EIM market results, and coordinate with traders to minimize cost while meeting system needs.

The role requires a non-standard schedule, a strong analytics background, and a collaborative approach across Power Supply operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• NERC Certified System Operator within 90 days (B/I, B/IT, or RC); 90 day extension requires VP approval.
• Ability to analyze market conditions and identify resource opportunities.
• Position work hours are non-standard.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to develop industry contacts, establish relationships, and negotiate outcomes.
• Proficient with PCs and automated tools to support resource analysis.
• Knowledge of CAISO EIM and EDAM market operations and their relation to reliability.
• Ability to analyze market results, operational data, and forecasts to support reliable operations.

Responsibilities

• Maintain compliance with NERC/FERC/WECC and OATT requirements.
• Maintain accurate unit capabilities in EMS and CAISO Market Models.
• Respond to outages and reoptimize resources.
• Balance current system load and resource requirements reliably and economically.
• Determine available excess energy supply.
• Communicate reliability-based energy transactions to traders.
• Monitor economic and reliable dispatch of generating assets hourly.
• Send dispatch instructions to plant operators.
• Identify internal failures and implement corrective action.
• Author and maintain best operating practices and procedures.
• Maintain internal tools and calculations.
• Maintain relationships with plant and reliability operations personnel.
• Administer day-ahead RSE for CAISO EDAM participation.
• Review and validate EIM/EDAM market results, schedules, data.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, Marketing or a related field

Job description

PacifiCorp is seeking customer-centric candidates to grow and sustain our commitment to a culture of customer service excellence, environmental sustainability, inclusion, and belonging.

General Purpose

Continuously maintain Real Power Balance, ensuring compliance with all applicable reliability requirements of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Evaluate current and future day Resource Operations Plan and make data driven decisions to adjust the resource plan to accommodate system requirements, ensuring reliable load service. Evaluate market solutions provided by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) and Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). Execute the plans within the constraints of real-time system conditions. Validate accuracy of load and variable energy resource (VER) forecasts, and efficiently dispatch system generation resources to balance the electric system and deliver the lowest net power cost solution to stakeholders. Administer day-ahead operational processes supporting EDAM participation, including Resource Sufficiency Evaluation (RSE) activities, market result validation, and communication of operational impacts to affected stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Maintain compliance with NERC/FERC/WECC and Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) requirements.
• Maintain accurate unit capabilities in the Energy Supply Management System (EMS) and CAISO Market Models.
• Respond to planned and unplanned generation resource outages and de-rates, documenting outages in OMS and reoptimizing system resources.
• Reliably and economically balance current system load and resource requirements.
• Determine available excess energy supply.
• Determine and communicate required reliability-based energy transactions, to PacifiCorp Energy Transaction Traders.
• Monitor the economic and reliable dispatch of the Company’s generating assets on an hourly basis.
• Communicate plant dispatch instructions electronically and via verbal communication with plant operators.
• Identify internal system failures and implement corrective action.
• Author and maintain best operating practices and procedures.
• Maintain and update internal tools and calculations.
• Maintain professional and effective relationships with generating plant and reliability operations personnel.
• Administer day-ahead Resource Sufficiency Evaluation (RSE) processes supporting participation in the CAISO Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM)
• Review and validate EIM and EDAM market results, schedules, and operational data to ensure accurate system representation and reliable operations.
• Identify and resolve operational data and modeling issues affecting EIM and EDAM processes and communicate impacts to appropriate stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, Marketing or a related field; or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to obtain the NERC Certified System Operator (B/I, B/IT, or RC)within 90 days. Extension of 90 day period requires business unit VP approval.
• Ability to analyze market conditions and identify resource opportunities and resource management improvements.
• Position work hours are non-standard.
• Communication and interpersonal skills necessary to develop industry contacts, establish relationships, and negotiate outcomes.
• Proficient with the use of personal computers and automated tools to support resource analysis activity.
• Knowledge of CAISO EIM and EDAM market operations and their relationship to bulk electric system reliability.
• Ability to analyze market results, operational data, and forecasts to support reliable and economic system operations.

Preferences

• Experience with CAISO Energy Imbalance Market (EIM), Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM), Resource Sufficiency Evaluation (RSE), or related power system operations.

At PacifiCorp, we understand that living a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about your physical health — your mental, financial, and social wellbeing also play an important role. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to help you live a more balanced lifestyle

Our benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k with match fixed contributions, including a Roth and saving option. For union employees, matching contributions vary by union. For nonunion, PacifiCorp makes a fixed contribution equal to 4% of your eligible pay each year for new hires. In addition, PacifiCorp matches 100% of the first 6% you contribute.
• Life insurance
• Additional voluntary benefits, including pet insurance
• Tuition Assistance
• Mass Transit Pass for employees in our Portland and Salt Lake City Offices.

Work Life Balance

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) - Time off varies by employee type (Union or Non-Union)
• Paid short-term disability leave and long-term disability insurance
• Paid Parental Leave (non-union employees)
• Military leave support for active-duty employees
• Employee Assistance Program supporting mental and emotional wellbeing

Primary Location: PORTLAND 100% ONSITE
Department: Power Supply
Schedule: Rotating
Personnel Subarea: Exempt
Hiring Range: $88,800 - $122,100
This position is eligible for an annual discretionary performance incentive bonus of up to 12% of salary.

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without an accommodation.

PacifiCorp is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status (except as required by law), gender (including gender identity and expression), sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran or military status, familial or parental status, marital status or any other category protected by applicable local, state or U.S. federal law.

Unless otherwise required by law, all offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening including for marijuana. While marijuana is legal in several states, including Oregon, a positive test for positions in Oregon may disqualify a candidate. The company complies with the laws of Washington and California and only obtains and considers positive tests for marijuana in safety-sensitive positions or those covered by U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.