Associate Realtime Asset Manager

Requisition ID # 146620
Job Category: Energy Services / Trading
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Business Unit: Energy Policy & Procurement
Work Type: Onsite
Job Location: Oakland
Department Overview
The Energy Policy and Procurement (EPP) organization procures electricity, capacity, and ancillary services to serve the needs of bundled electric customers. In addition, EPP procures natural gas, pipeline capacity, and storage capacity on behalf of residential and small commercial customers, and for both utility-owned and contracted third-party electric generation. EPP is responsible for the front-office and back-office functions associated with power and gas procurement. Front-office functions entail planning, contracting, trading, scheduling, and dispatching electricity and natural gas for PG&E’s customers. Back-office functions entail administering procurement agreements and ensuring timely and accurate payments to the CAISO and third-party power and gas suppliers. EPP also actively participates in regulatory and legislative proceedings that shape the design and implementation of state, regional, and federal energy regulation and policy. In addition, EPP is responsible for long-term planning, risk management, and compliance functions related to PG&E’s energy portfolio.
The Real Time Operations group is part of the Short-Term Electric Supply department within Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Energy Policy and Procurement organization. Key activities include procuring and scheduling electricity to meet PG&E’s retail load in a least cost fashion by utilizing PG&E owned generation, contract generation and market transactions in the real time market. The portfolio of generation the group is responsible for is large and diverse, ranging from nuclear power plants, hydro, gas power plants, geothermal, biomass, wind, solar and batteries. The Real Time Operations group acts as the single point of contact between PG&E and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) for generation dispatching, planned outage implementation, generator emergency outage notification, water management and all other scheduling activities including energy imports and export schedules. The department also manages and documents transactions across transmission tie points between control areas, including confirming import and export information with counterparties; source, sink and each transmission segment for each schedule and tagging. The Department supports the Utility’s long-term electric procurement activities, including renewable resources and acquisition of power from outside the Utility’s service area, by providing operational and marketing expertise as well as system integration requirements. The Real Time Operations Department is an integral element of the Short-Term Electric Supply team and contributes/ receives input from the Day Ahead Operations team and the Electric Fuels Department to manage real time transactions.
Position Summary
PG&E is seeking an enthusiastic and driven candidate to fill an associate-level position.
Real-Time Asset Managers are responsible for monitoring, dispatching and controlling PG&E’s portfolio of generating units and associated water conveyance systems to ensure energy and ancillary service obligations are met. As part of this responsibility, the Real-Time Asset Managers are also required to make assessments, develop strategies and implement those results throughout their assigned shifts. The decisions include instructing Hydro and Power Plant operators to shut down and start generating units, vary the generation output to achieve desired energy schedules and water management.
The Real Time Asset Management function acts as PG&E’s single point contact with the CAISO for real time generation dispatch communications and instructions on a 24 x 7 basis.
The position is staffed on a 24 x 7 basis. The shift rotation provides coverage which includes weekdays, weekends, nights, and holidays. This position is based in Oakland and will also require up to 30% travel time to Vacaville and San Ramon.
Staffing the department’s emergency backup facility in Vacaville is also part of the responsibility of the RealTime Asset Manager. PG&E is seeking a dedicated individual that can work in a fast-paced environment and possess the ability to work as an effective team member to perform these duties while complying with all required regulations, such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the CAISO Tariff. Key capabilities include the ability to multi-task, maintain situational awareness, effectively communicate and make decisions quickly. As this is a role that covers a diverse portfolio, qualified candidates will need to have a strong motivation and capacity for learning. Additionally, this is a very team-oriented environment where team members rely heavily.
PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity. This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.
The Bay Area hourly rate for this position ranges from $37.50 to $55.77.
Job Responsibilities
Real Time Operations is seeking a dedicated individual to fill the position of a Real-Time Asset Manager that can work in fast paced environment and possess the ability to work as an effective
team member.
Monitor PG&E portfolio generating unit status. Ensure energy and ancillary service obligations are met. Monitor: (1) current water conditions (river flows and reservoirs levels) and adjusts plant output as needed, (2) the availability of generating units, (3) system constraints and market conditions. Modify generation schedules using ISO market transactions in the Day Ahead and Hour Ahead Scheduling Process markets.
Manage all CAISO directed generation dispatch orders.
Manage all real time generator outages designated as planned or emergency outages and complete associated documentation within prescribed CAISO tariff timelines.
Provides input and recommendations to Day Ahead Asset Managers on generation schedules and or water management issues.
Develops solutions to increase efficiency of team operations.
Monitor CAISO activities/initiatives.
Expand knowledge of the CAISO Wholesale Market Rules and Market Participants.
Analyze/quantify impacts of new initiatives (e.g., advanced components of Multi Stage Generation ,intermittent generation, Demand Response, new supply within and outside the PG&E Service Territory and CAISO control areas) on PG&E’s supply portfolio’s operations and costs and document changes to existing processes to integrate new initiatives.
Qualifications
Minimum:
High School or GED-General Educational Development-GED Diploma
The position requires strong computer skills, including but not limited to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
Desired:
Bachelors Degree or job-related experience
Knowledge of CAISO protocols, tariffs and tools.
Demonstrates advanced understanding and mentor others on generation and impacts to the electric markets.
Demonstrates advanced understanding of the PG&E hydroelectric system including a mechanical understanding of units and components.
Demonstrates advanced understanding of production generators, pumps and basic electricity.
Demonstrates advanced understanding of renewable resources including wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources.
PG&E is seeking an enthusiastic and driven candidate.
Possess the personality traits, work habits, communication, social skills, and attention to detail necessary to work effectively within a fast-paced process-driven 24x7, 365 days operations environment.
Due to the pressures of this environment, those with the ability to think clearly under pressure, prioritize and manage time effectively will be most effective in this role.
The position requires strong communication skills and the ability to handle multiple phone calls.