Manager, (System Operations) Balancing Authority Market Operations and Compliance

Title: Manager, (System Operations) Balancing Authority Market Operations and Compliance

Duration: FTE

Location: Great Falls, MT

JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary

·         The Manager, Balancing Authority Market Operations and Compliance position will manage, research, design, document, develop procedures, draft on-the-job training materials, conduct and evaluate training to support the implementation and on-going operations of its North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) registered balancing authority (BA) into the California Independent System Operators (CAISO) Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) and other new energy markets including the CAISO’s Energy Day Ahead Market (EDAM).

·         The position attends, schedules, and participates in business meetings, and collaborates with the CAISO, consultants, and stakeholders to develop policies and procedures for BHE Montana’s participation in WEIM and potentially EDAM.

·         A primary function of this position is to assist with the management of the Company’s Montana control center and the EIM Analysts and System Operators who perform real-time operation of the Company's balancing authorities, generation projects, WEIM participation, and scheduling of third-party energy resources, while ensuring grid reliability and continuous compliance with all North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) balancing authority (BA), generation owner (GO) and generation operator (GOP) reliability standard requirements.

·         The position is responsible for real-time NERC Compliance Reporting and submitting forms, documents and outage coordination for the Company’s balancing authority. This position also requires compliance knowledge and implementation of Alberta Reliability Standards (ARS), and AESO ISO rules for dispatch of Generator Owner, and Generator Operator operations in Alberta.

·         The position will support training activities for Company employees and interns, monitoring and overseeing mandates by NERC, WECC and other applicable regulatory agencies and standards regarding operation, control and monitoring of the balancing authority and generation facilities, and assisting with the development, tracking, and monitoring of compliance training/programs, policies, procedures, and standards to meet compliance requirements.

Essential Functions

• Review and provide feedback on the Company’s current NOC operations for revenue optimization opportunities.
  
• Maintain and build productive relationships with regulatory and commercial partners (Western Power Pool, ADI, Alberta Ex, CAISO) and act as supervisor for real-time operational issues with partners.
  
• Maintain and build productive relationships with transmission partners such as Northwestern, the Montana-Alberta Tie Line (MATL), and the Western Area Power Authority (WAPA).
  
• Support the transition of the Company’s new generation projects into NOC operations and assist in business development of new opportunities including third-party energy services.
  
• Maintain NERC System Operator Certification (Balancing and Interchange Operator or Reliability Operator) at all times, and complete continuing education hours required to maintain NERC System Operator Certification.
  

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Manager, Balancing Authority Market Operations will complete the Company’s NOC Manager Task Qualification training program and training to qualify as a System Operator on the scheduling, AESO, WEIM and balancing authority desks. Training must be completed within 6 months. Upon completion of training, the position will be available in a back-up capacity to cover shifts.
  
• Manage BHE Montana’s WEIM participation, compliance and reliability in real-time during both normal and emergency operating conditions. Manage daily balancing authority reliability during both normal and emergency operating conditions.
  
• Manage the T-5, T-15 and hourly resource strategy to optimally balance the Company’s resource position within WEIM rules and all NERC, FERC, WECC and other regulatory compliance obligations. Manage outage coordination for planned and unplanned outages within all regulatory compliance obligations.
  
• Support the development and annual review of BHE Montana’s Energy Imbalance Market procedures and on-the-job training materials for the WEIM Operations Analyst and System Operator Training Program. Manage the creation and revision of training materials as needed for NERC Compliance and asset optimization.
  
• Manage the hourly resource strategy to optimally balance Company’s resource position within all NERC, FERC, WECC and other regulatory compliance obligations.
  
• Manage real-time system disturbances involving generation, substation, and transmission equipment, coordinating outages in conjunction with the Transmission Operator and Reliability Coordinator.
  
• Ensure compliance with NERC and WECC reliability standards for BA & GOP as it relates to procedures, policies and guidelines, and real-time logging and other record-keeping procedures for NOC Operators/Operations, Implement new/updated reliability standards. Take actions to mitigate and communicate any identified regulatory non-compliance event.
  
• The position will perform daily compliance assessments and review company performance, draft potential non-compliance documents for WECC, AESO and other regional areas as required, and support annual NERC Compliance audits, reviewing risk assessments, monitoring compliance activities, and identifying areas of potential non-compliance.
  
• Draft, produce and submit for review the Balancing Authority NERC Compliance program assigned monthly, quarterly and annual Balancing Authority Compliance Reports. Attends Compliance and other committee meetings as assigned.
  
• Support the implementation and utilize as required, Generation Management and Energy Management systems. Adapt processes and protocols to coordinate with network automation and the implementation of outage management, forecasting, Generation Management and Energy Management Systems.
  
• Support the schedule, coordination and management of BHE Montana’s switching operations and procedures. Supervise scheduling of energy and execution of operational tasks by operators.
  
• Review company logging and work safety procedures and report any issues to management.
  
• Represent BHE Montana’s grid and energy operations with external groups
  
• May serve as the Company’s representative for third-party coordination meetings. May serve as liaison between reliability entities and commercial partners to ensure proper balance and optimization of assets given reliability constraints and forecast outages.
  
• Support reporting/settlement duties for the Company’s generation projects and third-party generation operations projects, as requested.
  

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in energy/environmental studies, economics, business, finance, electrical engineering, or other relevant degree. Progressive work experience is needed for candidates applying for this position who do not have a bachelor's degree.
  
• 10 years of proven experience in energy markets (preferably WECC, CAISO, and AESO), energy marketing & trading, renewable energy (wind, solar, and battery), or comparable experience. Demand Response and Microgrid experience helpful. 5 years of experience managing real-time operations.
  
• Balancing authority operations, scheduling, or power marketing experience is preferred. Must have knowledge of energy markets including familiarity with regulatory policies, rates and tariffs, electric transmission, pooled markets, and renewable energy generation technologies including wind, solar and/or battery.
  
• Knowledge, understanding and experience with NERC and Alberta Reliability standards and related compliance as it pertains to balancing authority operations, and Generation Owner (GO)/Generation Operator (GOP) requirements.
  
• Previous experience working in a commercial negotiation environment with excellent customer-focused, commercial management, negotiation and influencing skills, is required. Previous experience negotiating, reviewing, and closing on PPA (Power Purchase Agreements) preferred.
  
• Ability to manage a network of potential energy off-takers. These entities include, but are not limited to, merchant, Load Serving Entities, cooperatives, utilities.
  
• Ability to evaluate Energy Market trends and identify potential target customers. Uses various forms of marketing (in-person, online, etc.) to secure balancing authority services and energy customer contracts.
  
• Knowledge of power system economics, especially economic dispatch and generator efficiency characteristics and real-time energy trading. Technical skills and knowledge related to understanding electric generation and power system operations.
  
• Knowledge of applicable California ISO procedures and practices, with experience in one or more of the following energy markets preferred:
  
• WECC interconnection
  
• Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM)
  
• Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)
  
• Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
  
• Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
  
• PJM
  
• Experience as a Power System Operator (with three years BAA experience preferred including Energy Management System (EMS) experience, in a BA environment)
  
• Experience preferred in high voltage grid, control, and switching operations.
  
• Experience with power management OT systems (SCADA, EMS, Automatic Generation Control (AGC), Historian, etc.) preferred.
  
• Strong leadership experience in managing teams for collaborative success.
  
• Strong business acumen and appreciation for entrepreneurial approach to optimizing operations.
  
• In-depth knowledge of regulatory compliance issues
  
• Solid analytical and math skills and excellent computer capabilities
  
• Adept and experienced in working in a teamwork environment.
  
• Proven ability to effectively manage and direct emergency operations.
  
• Performs well under tight deadlines and emergency conditions, is capable of making decisions in a time-compressed environment.
  
• Strong communication skills for voice and electronic communications within the Company and with third-party entities, including the use of three-part communication.
  
• Ability to effectively coordinate/manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
  
• Must be adaptable to change and have the ability to prioritize responsibilities.
  
• Must be highly detail oriented.