Engineer- Resource Adequacy Planning

About RF:

ReliabilityFirst Corporation is a regulator focused on preserving and enhancing reliability, security, and resilience of the Bulk Power System across 13 states and the District of Columbia. ReliabilityFirst is uniquely positioned to work closely with transmission, generation, and other power companies as well as the federal government to help identify and ensure the mitigation of operational risks and physical and cyber security threats to the electric grid.

Culture Statement:

At ReliabilityFirst, we are more than just a team – we are a community of dedicated professionals committed to ensuring the reliability and security of the electric grid. Our people are our greatest asset, and we believe that their diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences are what drive our success. If you’re looking for a career that offers competitive compensation, generous benefits, work-life harmony, and the opportunity to be part of a mission that matters, then we invite you to join us at ReliabilityFirst. Together, we can ensure a reliable and secure electric grid for today and tomorrow.

Purpose of Position:

The primary purpose of this job position is to gather, review, and perform advanced analytics regarding risks to the Bulk Power System (BPS) with the goal to make recommendations that improve overall reliability and resilience associated with system performance. This job entails functions similar to the role of a resource planning engineer with a background in power systems and probabilistic analysis. Reports to the ESP Manager within the Engineering & Reliability Services department.

Key Responsibilities:

• Produce and/or support the development of NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) and ReliabilityFirst seasonal and long-term resource adequacy and energy assessments (determination of the margin between available generation and load demand), which includes:

• Evaluate resource adequacy based on “one day in ten year” criteria (0.1 Loss of Load Expectation)

• Evaluate hourly energy adequacy based on season and/or year

• Capability to utilize tools to perform resource adequacy analysis (experience using Astrape’s SERVM is preferred or have experience in similar tools like GE’s MARS or Energy Exemplar’s Plexos being acceptable).

• Collect, verify, and validate resource, demand, weather, and other applicable data from stakeholders.

• Develop, verify, and validate resource adequacy models and associated support files to perform these types of analysis.

• Meet applicable milestones associated with analysis and assessment deliverables.

• Develop and present technical reports and presentation materials

• Facilitate the collection, verification, and analysis of power system performance related data from stakeholders (per the NERC Rules of Procedure, Section 1600 Data Collection)

• Present technical material at ReliabilityFirst technical committee/subcommittees, workshops, and community of practice groups. This includes working closely with the industry stakeholders to develop the agenda and keep meeting minutes (as applicable).

• Represent ReliabilityFirst on ERO Enterprise or other industry technical committees, subcommittees, working groups, task forces, and other collaborative opportunities. Participation in industry forums related to resource adequacy and hourly energy analysis.

• Provide interpretation of the NERC Reliability Standards when needed. This includes conducting reviews of newly developed/revised Reliability Standards, implementation guidance, compliance guidance, technical guidelines, and other applicable documentation.

• During an absence of the RF personnel, will act as a back-up and perform associated duties when requested.

• Provide technical support across ReliabilityFirst in the following manner:

• Collect, verify, and validate data from various sources

• Develop data visualizations

• Perform analysis on system performance data related to equipment outages and protection system misoperations

• Review of system events

• Develop and present educational materials

• Support RF stakeholder outreach activities

• Support of compliance oversight and mitigation activities

• Support other RF groups such as NERC Certification activities

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in one of the fields (or similar) is required: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Analytics, or Data Science

• Experience in power systems knowledge through college coursework, training, or on the job experience. Examples include understanding of transmission planning, resource planning, distribution planning, protection systems, generation operations, or transmission operations.

• Ability to time manage with multiple responsibilities

• Ability to troubleshoot independently and think analytically to problem solve

• Excellent presentation skills in explaining results effectively to non-technical audiences

Desirable:

• Experience in performing resource adequacy or hourly energy analysis is strongly preferred.

• Experience using resource adequacy tools (i.e., Astrape’s SERVM, GE’s MARS, Energy Exemplar’s Plexos, or similar tools)

• Proficiency in programming languages (i.e., Python, R, C, C , etc.)

• Experience using power-flow analysis tools (i.e., Siemen's PSS/e, PowerGem's TARA, or similar tools) is beneficial to the role. This includes some experience in performing dynamic/transient, geomagnetic disturbance, or electromagnetic transient simulations and associated tools.

• Knowledge in new and emergent technologies like inverter-based resources, distributed energy resources, energy storage, or similar technologies.

• Professional Engineer Certification/Licensure is beneficial to the role.

• Comprehension of NERC TPL, MOD, and other planning-related Reliability Standards is beneficial.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

ReliabilityFirst is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants in accordance with local and federal laws. ​ReliabilityFirst's mission is to preserve and enhance bulk power system reliability and security. This mission cannot be accomplished without a diverse and inclusive staff - one that at all levels feels empowered, valued, respected, and engaged.

Learn more at: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at RF (rfirst.org)