Real-Time Power Dispatcher & Market Operator

Direct Energy Business; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NRG Energy in Houston, TX is seeking a Real-Time Dispatcher to join our operating team. You will work in a NERC-qualified environment, coordinating real-time dispatch, market response, and short-horizon decisions across PJM, NYISO, and ISO-NE.

You will interact with day-ahead traders, plant and field staff, and control centers while maintaining logs, ensuring reliability and compliance, and pursuing continuous improvement in operations.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent, relevant experience, or equivalent military experience.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Comply with applicable NERC Reliability Standards, ISO rules and tariffs, and NRG policies and procedures while supporting reliable Bulk Electric System operations.
• Start, stop, dispatch, or adjust generating units based on unit capability, plant status, market conditions, ISO instructions, fuel constraints, reliability needs, and commercial opportunity.
• Monitor unit status, market prices, bid curves, operating limits, weather, transmission constraints, outages, fuel conditions, and short-horizon system outlooks.
• Communicate with PJM, NYISO, ISO-NE, Balancing Authorities, Reliability Coordinators, Transmission Operators, plants, field personnel, and internal commercial teams using clear and disciplined communication practices.
• Own current-day and intraday operational updates, including forced outages, derates, returns to service, operating limitations, emergency tickets, and material asset status changes in approved ISO and internal tools.
• Maintain accurate shift logs, document decisions and notifications, provide structured shift turnover, and elevate compliance, reliability, operational, contractual, or risk concerns as appropriate.
• Complete required training, maintain applicable continuing education requirements, obtain PJM certification within 6 months of hire, and obtain NERC certification within 18 months of hire.

Skills

Situational awareness

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Teamwork

Decision making

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

eDART

Markets Gateway

PJM market systems

Job description

NRG Energy in Houston, TX is seeking a Real-Time Dispatcher to join our operating team. You will work in a NERC-qualified environment, coordinating real-time dispatch, market response, and short-horizon decisions across PJM, NYISO, and ISO-NE.

You will interact with day-ahead traders, plant and field staff, and control centers while maintaining logs, ensuring reliability and compliance, and pursuing continuous improvement in operations.