Associate Transmission Planning Engineer

AES Corporation offers an opportunity to contribute to the reliability and security of critical 34.5–345 kV transmission systems, onsite in Dayton, Ohio. In this role you will use industry-standard tools to support planning studies under FERC 715, collaborate with Indiana's utilities to craft cost-effective transmission plans, and help ensure readiness for regulatory audits. You will also support emergency operations to restore energization for AES Indiana customers, and grow your expertise through involvement in regional planning processes and NERC, FERC, and MISO compliance activities.

Responsibilities

• Support the annual NERC TPL-001 Transmission System Planning Performance Assessment using steady-state, short-circuit, and dynamic power system analyses with TARA, PSS®E, ASPEN, and DSA Tools under FERC 715.
• Assist with documentation for NERC EOP-005 System Restoration from Blackstart Resources, applying transient analyses with PSCAD.
• Contribute to the NERC CIP-014 Physical Security assessment by modeling realistic and historical physical attacks to evaluate potential instability, separation, or cascading, using TARA, PSS®E, and DSA Tools.
• Support or perform FAC-002 qualified changes and material modification impact studies to determine if new or modified loads, generation, or transmission threaten meeting FERC 715 performance, employing steady-state, short-circuit, dynamic, and transient techniques with TARA, PSS®E, ASPEN, DSA Tools, and PSCAD as needed.
• Evaluate transmission system optimization and proposed plans to reduce overall investment while maintaining reliable service, leveraging traditional methods and emerging technologies such as GETs.
• Participate in stakeholder meetings, plan projects, and evaluate MISO’s regional Transmission Planning process (MTEP) to ensure just and reasonable scope using steady-state, short-circuit, and dynamic analyses with TARA, PSS®E, ASPEN, and DSA Tools under FERC 715.
• Engage in stakeholder activities for MISO’s Expedited Project Review (EPR) and Expedited Resource Adequacy Study (ERAS) to assess Transmission Projects with steady-state, short-circuit, dynamic, and transient techniques using TARA, PSS®E, ASPEN, DSA Tools, and PSCAD as governed by FERC 715.
• Collaborate with Indiana’s five vertically integrated Investor-Owned Utilities and two Generation & Transmission Cooperatives to develop a cost-effective forecasted Transmission Plan that reliably serves current and new Indiana customers.
• Prepare for and participate in regulatory audits by entities including NERC, IURC, FERC, and MISO to demonstrate adherence to Transmission Tariffs, Distribution Tariffs, and NERC compliance.
• Provide Transmission Operations Control Center support during emergencies such as extreme weather, repairs, or system restoration to restore energization for AES Indiana’s customers.
• Document tasks related to NERC standards (including TPL-007, TPL-008, FAC-003, FAC-010, FAC-011, FAC-014, PRC-012, PRC-026) using steady-state, short-circuit, dynamic, and transient analyses with TARA, PSS®E, ASPEN, DSA Tools, and PSCAD as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field.

Technologies

• TARA
• PSS®E
• ASPEN
• DSA Tools
• PSCAD
• CAPE
• GETs

Highly Desired Skills

• Bachelor's degree, certificate, or equivalent experience in power systems studies
• Passing grade on the Fundamentals of Engineering
• Proficiency in report writing, analysis, and compliance procedures
• Solid understanding of regulatory frameworks (NERC, FERC, PJM/MISO)
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, verbally and in writing
• Strong technical knowledge of the transmission grid
• Proficiency with PSSE, TARA, DSA Tools, or similar software
• Proficiency with ASPEN, CAPE, or similar software
• Proficiency with PSCAD or similar software