PGE Employment – Senior Grid Innovation Engineer

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Grid Innovation Engineer will be responsible for leading the integration of new distributed technologies into PG&E’s distribution grid planning, operations and investment processes. The Grid Innovation Engineer will inform Company strategic positions, influence policy and propose process improvements that enable the integration of DERs (distributed energy resources) into PG&E’s grid of future that provides safe, reliable and affordable clean energy to PG&E’s customers.

The successful candidate will play a central role in the management and product development for PG&E’s Integration Capacity Analysis (ICA), an automated distribution power system analysis that seeks to identify the amount of new generation and load that the distribution system can host without engineering mitigation. The role will inform the strategy and development of distribution planning tools to increase the ability to plan for DER integration and to maximize value from DERs to the customers and the grid. The role will also help develop strategies to inform PG&E’s policies as it prepares the grid for a high DER future. The successful candidate will have the technical expertise to ensure compliance requirements are met, the communication skills to coordinate and engage with internal and external counterparts, and the innovative capabilities to drive the future development of distribution planning tools.

This position is intended to be based out of PG&E’s General Office complex in downtown Oakland, CA although flexible work location could be considered.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Meet with stakeholders to better understand their issues regarding integration to the grid, helping shape policy and regulatory process to structure optimal DER integration practices
• Understand the various data streams that are needed to enable more advanced analysis when modeling grid impacts
• Incorporate queued distribution load projects and file monthly refinement updates for Load Integration Capacity Analysis (ICA)
• Collaborate with other utilities, manufacturers, engineering, IT, and standards departments on advancing new distributed energy resources applications and planning tools, and reducing interconnection costs
• Identify conditions when DER may provide benefits to the customers and the grid
• Assist in assessments of potential DER risks at higher penetration levels
• Assist in material prep and/or presenting for technical experts in regulatory proceedings and industry working groups

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited college or equivalent experience
• 5 years of electric utility-related experience
• Experience with distribution planning modeling software (e.g., CYME, LoadSEER)
• Public speaking and stakeholder engagement experience on technical topics
• Strong technical writing skills
• Experience informing strategical and policy-making decisions
• Electrical Engineering Degree with Power Systems emphasis
• Master’s of Science in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering
• Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of California
• Experience with data processing tools, visualization and languages such as Excel, GIS, SQL, Python, etc.
• Product development experience and the publication of large datasets

JOB DETAILS:

Company: Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Vacancy Type:  Full Time

Job Location: Bakersfield, CA, US

Application Deadline: N/A