Power Plant Operator (Cannelton Hydroelectric Facility)

American Municipal Power, Inc.; Hawesville (KY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

American Municipal Power, Inc. seeks a Hydro Plant Operator at the Cannelton Hydroelectric Facility to monitor daily operations and support maintenance activities.

This on-site role requires coordinating unit starts/stops, logging hourly readings, and ensuring safety procedures in cooperation with engineers and safety staff. You will work with a team to respond to alarms and perform basic maintenance while helping optimize power delivery to the grid.

Qualifications

• Two year technical degree; in Engineering technology; or two years experience in plant operations and/or maintenance or equivalent military experience.
• Knowledge of plant equipment and principles of operation.
• Ability to read instruction manuals, blueprints, and schematics.
• Knowledge of operation and maintenance of control devices and recording/metering devices common to power plants.
• Experience with programmable logic controllers is a plus.
• Good problem solving skills, and basic mechanical and electrical skills.
• Ability to follow complex oral and written instructions and react calmly during plant emergencies.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers.

Responsibilities

• Functions as a control room operator; starts/stops units and coordinates discharge rates.
• Cleans debris from intake racks to maximize head for the units.
• Responds to faults/alarms from the control switchboard and clears alarms.
• Assists in plant maintenance on pumps, motors, fans, valves, instrumentation, lines, and substations.
• Assists with operation of the oil purification system on a scheduled basis.
• Prepares and updates daily work logs and manages work orders in the Maximo system.
• Participates in safety briefings and hazard analyses for maintenance work.
• Follows environmental and regulatory compliance procedures with state and federal agencies.
• Performs cleaning, trash removal, and other tasks to maintain plant facilities.
• Assists with scheduling and coordinating power delivery to the grid with minimal interruption.
• Maintains daily logs of work performed, visitors, and plant upkeep.
• Picks up and delivers plant equipment supplies as needed.
• Performs other assigned duties.

Skills

Two year degree

Plant operations knowledge

Reading manuals/schematics

Control devices operation

PLC experience

Problem solving

Mechanical/electrical skills

Emergency response

Teamwork

Education

Two year technical degree in Engineering Technology

Military experience equivalent

Job description

This position will report out of the Cannelton Hydroelectric Facility

Reports To:

Operations and Maintenance Supervisor

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Basic Functions:

Responsible for the overall daily monitoring and maintenance of the hydroelectric plan.

Essential Functions:

1. Functions as a control room operator. Assists or performs the responsibilities associated with starting and stopping units, coordinating unit discharge rates, monitoring and maintaining upstream pool in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, records and reports operating information such as hourly readings of distribution metering, river flow, unit blade positions, unit temperatures, and dissolved oxygen monitoring equipment.
2. Cleans debris from intake racks utilizing the trash rake, log grabber and other equipment to provide for the maximum head for the units.
3. Acknowledges and responds to faults or alarms from the plant control switchboard and takes appropriate action to clear the associated alarms.
4. Assists in the performance of plant maintenance on equipment throughout the plant and transmission line including, but not limited to pumps, motors, fans, valves, instrumentation, transmission line poles and substations.
5. Assists with the operation of the oil purification system on a scheduled basis.
6. Prepares and updates the daily log of work performed including creating, performing and updating work orders and inventory in the Maximo system.
7. Recommends improvements in operation manuals, plant procedures, preventive maintenance plans, and plant safety including insuring that supervisor and AMP’s safety staff is aware and has been consulted with regard to ongoing maintenance and outage related work activities of staff and outside contractors. Participates in job hazard analysis and pre and post safety briefings and safety discussions for work activities.
8. Executes established environmental and regulatory compliance procedures, ensuring compliance with various state and federal agencies.
9. Performs work necessary to maintain other plant facilities including cleaning, trash removal and other tasks as assigned.
10. Assists with scheduling and coordinating the delivery of power from the hydroelectric plant to grid and ensures that the maximum power is delivered on a minimal interruption basis.
11. Prepares and updates a daily log of work performed, visitors, and general upkeep of the plant.
12. Picks up and delivers plant equipment supplies as needed.
13. Performs other assigned duties.

Knowledge, Skills, & Qualifications:

1. Two year technical degree; in Engineering technology ; or two years experience in plant operations and/or maintenance or equivalent military experience.
2. Demonstrates working knowledge of plant equipment and principles of operation.
3. Must demonstrate the ability to read instruction manuals, blueprints, and schematics.
4. Must have knowledge of the operation and maintenance of control devices and recording/metering devices common to power plants.
5. Experience with programmable logic controllers is a plus.
6. Must have good problem solving skills, and basic mechanical and electrical skills.
7. Must have the ability to follow complex oral and written instructions and react calmly during plant emergencies.
8. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers.