Energy Trader

Job Description

Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility that generates and delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their utility customers.

At Platte River, we share a sense of purpose and pride in the value we add to our communities, our region and the energy industry. We rely on our staff to sustain our leadership role in the region and to help us work toward our goal to achieve a 100% noncarbon energy mix within the next decade. To accomplish this, we offer competitive pay and benefits, state-of-the-art workplaces at both headquarters and the Rawhide Energy Station, and the following unique benefits:

• Onsite, fully-equipped gym facilities
• Fleet cars for use by staff for local business travel
• Employee rewards, health and financial wellness programs
• Volunteer days and opportunities to participate in community events
• Culture of respect, commitment and camaraderie

If youre searching for a collaborative working environment within a mid-sized organization that values innovative ideas, diverse perspectives and provides opportunities to make a difference, consider joining the Platte River team.

Job summary

The energy trader is responsible for generation scheduling, load forecasting and balancing of Platte Rivers resources and obligations on a preschedule and short-term basis. This includes managing the capacity and energy needed to meet Platte Rivers load requirements and natural gas scheduling activities; managing short-term trading needs of the portfolio; perform preschedule duties such as preparing and submitting bid/offers to the organized market, load and resource check-out and validation with Balancing Authorities, optimize generation and transmission assets and energy deliveries, and adjust, as needed, short-term load and renewable forecasts for planning and transacting in the day-ahead energy markets; identify and execute arbitrage opportunities.

Platte River is seeking to hire one individual as Energy Trader. The newest member of our power markets and generation dispatch team should be experienced in analytical decision-making and take pride in the details and accuracy of their work. To be successful in the role, this individual must have good multi-tasking/prioritization and time management skills, an agile, team player mentality and ability to communicate effectively (in writing or verbally) with others.

Work schedule and environment

Work is scheduled as five 8-hour shifts or four 10-hour shifts. Schedules may be rotated within the department or modified at the discretion of management. This position is eligible for hybrid work scheduling within a commutable distance of Platte Rivers headquarters location in Fort Collins.

This role is based in an office environment where there is rare or no exposure to injury or accident, and is considered primarily sedentary work that requires occasional minimal physical effort to lift and carry light objects, walking or standing.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Models the mission, vision, values, and culture of the organization
• Develops and manages portfolio position from day-ahead to 12 months forward
• Negotiates short-term sales and purchases out to 12 months; including energy, capacity, and other associated energy products
• Performs contract administration and management duties for short-term and long-term deals
• Manages tagging and scheduling of all transactions
• Ensures accurate submission of all market bids and offers
• Monitors OASIS to ensure and obtain proper transmission capacity to support all electricity transactions
• Monitors future transmission outages and curtailments
• Enters monthly designated network resource information, as needed into OASIS
• Handles all purchasing of gas with various vendors to ensure most economical price – work with schedulers to nominate on system
• Manages daily and monthly gas position to keep within tolerance
• Manages imbalances on the gas scheduling system
• Prepares and coordinates daily preschedules as well as the daily memo
• Schedules and monitors the month-to-date use of federal hydro allocation to ensure meeting month-end obligations
• Optimizes generation and transmission assets and energy deliveries, reviews mid/short-term load and renewable forecasts for planning and transacting in the day-ahead energy markets
• Identify and execute arbitrage opportunities from day-ahead to 12 months forward
• Schedules planned unit outages and curtailments. Communicates with plant personnel, outage coordinator and staff as needed to ensure clear and concise information is relayed
• Prepares daily memo for power system operator use in determining the daily preschedules and implementing contracts correctly
• Works collaboratively with staff on next day plans, intraday gas purchases, etc.
• Enters outages into the outage management system (SPP CROW) as well as PCI Outage Management System
• Manages monthly reserve obligations
• Evaluates future monthly position and verify 15% capacity margin
• Works with settlements personnel to research and resolve billing issues and disputes
• Enters monthly designated network resource information, as needed
• Provides pertinent information to other utilities and employees
• Schedules capacity and energy resources to meet load requirements and natural gas scheduling activities
• Performs preschedule load and resource check-out and validation with Balancing Authorities
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate with internal peers and external parties
• Ability to work proactively under minimal supervision and assistance
• Ability to work under pressure to meet various deadlines
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task ongoing tasks or projects
• Ability to work collaboratively with others in a team environment
• Ability to adapt to constant changes
• Strong analytical and reporting skills
• Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy skills

What youll need to qualify

At minimum:

• Bachelors degree in business administration, math, science or related discipline, or combination of education and years of equivalent experience
• Current valid drivers license and ability to remain insurable under a corporate vehicle liability policy
• Two to five years of power marketing/generation scheduling experience in the utility industry

Preferred experience:

• Experience with load and resource scheduling
• Experience with operating software (e.g. PCI Energy Trading and Risk Management, PCI Etag+)
• OATI OASIS
• DART virtual trading
• SPP RTO market experience

Pay

• Anticipated hiring range: $5,562.00 to $6,396.16 bi-weekly ($144,612 to $166,300 if annualized)
• This position levels earning potential ranges from $5,562.00 to $8,065.70 bi-weekly ($144,612 to $209,708 if annualized)

This is a salaried, exempt position. Salaries are paid bi-weekly. Factors that may be used to determine actual salary include specific skills, years of experience, education and certifications.

Platte River Power Authority offers employees an outstanding benefits package. Benefits offered for this position may include the following:

• Health insurance options including a PPO and high deductible health savings account with prescription drug coverage
• Telemedicine
• Benefit advocacy
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible spending plan
• Basic life insurance
• Basic accidental death and disability
• Dependent life and supplemental life insurance options (voluntary)
• Accidental death and disability insurance (voluntary)
• Long-term disability insurance
• Retirement plans 401a defined contribution plan 457b deferred compensation plan
• Paid holidays (12 annually)
• Paid time off: personal and sick leave
• Wellness program
• In-house training opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance program

For additional information, please see our website careers page at: https://www.prpa.org/careers/benefits/

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Platte River endeavors to make our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please call us at 970-229-5323 or email [email protected].

Must be legally eligible to work in the United States. Platte River cannot provide employment to applicants who will require sponsorship now or in the future (i.e. H1B visa, OPT status).