Transmission Planning Engineer (Entry, Staff, Senior or Principal Level)

Description

• Short-Circuit and Protection Coordination Studies to ensure appropriate equipment ratings, relay coordination, and breaker duty compliance, including assessments for system modifications and new interconnections.
• Apply IEEE 2800 requirements for IBR performance, including ride-through, reactive power support, and fast frequency response capabilities.
• Improves Integrated System Planning procedures and techniques through largely self-directed work. Resolves difficult technical and business problems
• Assess grid-forming/grid-following inverter technologies and their impact on system strength, transient behavior, and control interactions.
• Mentor engineers, interns, and analysts on advanced simulation methodologies, IBR modeling, EMT techniques, and emerging grid technologies.
• Serves as a spokesperson within the Integrated System Planning group.
• Represent Xcel Energy in NERC working groups, IEEE technical committees, WECC Model Validation Working Group, WestConnect Planning forums, and other industry task forces focused on dynamic performance, renewable integration, and bulk power system reliability.
• Scopes and/or performs power system simulations to evaluate reliability. Work is checked by a higher-level engineer or manager
• Power systems studies engineer: Leads and performs modeling and analysis activities for steady state and stability simulations
• Recommend necessary transmission reinforcements, upgrades, or operational solutions to accommodate new resources and loads.
• Lead internal technical workshops and contribute to the development of best-in-class planning documentation and standards.
• Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) Analysis for evaluating control interactions and fast dynamic phenomena associated with large power electronic loads (e.g., data centers), inverter-based resources (IBRs), and FACTS devices, leveraging PSCAD/EMTDC.
• Power systems studies engineer: Coordinates model development activities to ensure all metrics of RTO/RE and internal criteria are met
• Explores or implements new processes to improve the Integrated System Planning department's ability to perform its tasks
• Perform NERC TPL-001-5.1 compliance assessments, including extreme event analyses such as CIP-014 physical security risk assessments, wide-area event simulations, and black start restoration studies.
• Address challenges of high renewable penetration and develop mitigation strategies to maintain bulk power system reliability.
• Provide technical leadership to internal teams, fostering expertise development in grid dynamics, automation, and planning best practices.
• Steady-State Load Flow Analysis under normal and contingency conditions (N-1, N-1-1, and extreme events) to identify system limitations and develop mitigation strategies.
• Develop and maintain Python-based automation tools to streamline study execution, scenario management, and results post-processing for PSSE, PSLF, TARA, TSAT, PSCAD simulations.
• Analyze and model Dynamic Line Rating (DLR), Advanced Power Flow Controllers (APFC), and Topology Optimization (TTO) to maximize transmission efficiency and capacity without traditional infrastructure expansion.
• Constructs information and data to be exchanged with other Integrated System Planning groups and external entities
• Engage in regional and subregional transmission planning processes, contributing to multi-utility studies and cross-border resource integration scenarios.
• Assigns tasks to lower-level engineers, interns and technicians. Mentors and provides training materials for less experienced engineers to ensure group development
• Support development of capital budgets, conceptual transmission projects, and economic analyses in joint planning contexts.
• Transmission planning engineer: Develops scopes for complex studies to guide long-range transmission system plans and coordinates with other Integrated System Planning departments to ensure processes align across subdisciplines.
• Author and deliver technical reports, regulatory filings, and executive summaries for internal leadership and external regulatory agencies.
• Transmission planning engineer: Develops scopes for studies to guide long-range transmission system plans and coordinates with other Integrated System Planning departments to ensure assumptions align across subdisciplines
• Power systems studies engineer: Works as an established SME for modeling and analysis processes, procedures, and standards compliance. Will contribute to integrated modeling and analysis methods across the generation/transmission and transmission/distribution boundaries.
• Transmission planning engineer: Develops simple scopes of work to guide long-range transmission system plans
• Supports and maintains compliance with NERC and FERC standards through evidence development.
• Under the direction of higher-level engineer or supervisor: performs model development, modeling reviews, design, and analysis of Xcel Energy assets using PSSE, PSLF, TARA, DSA Tools or similar software
• Present findings at regional stakeholder meetings, industry conferences (e.g., IEEE PES, CIGRÉ), and technical workshops to communicate planning approaches and emerging challenges.
• Evaluate interconnection requests for conventional generation, IBRs, storage, hybrid resources, and emerging technologies such as microgrids and aggregated DERs under FERC 2222 frameworks.
• Acts as an advisor to management. Helps with workflow management within the department.
• Implements, without substantial direction, NERC and FERC compliance activities as an SME. Activities are coordinated through the Integrated System Planning department and with external entities
• Support dynamic model validation efforts per WECC and NERC MOD standards, ensuring fidelity of generator, inverter, and composite load models for stability studies.
• Coordinate with WestConnect Planning Management Committee, WECC Reliability Subcommittees, and interconnection working groups to support transmission expansion planning, regional policy compliance, and reliability initiatives.
• Transmission planning engineer: Support and provide testimony in state regulatory processes and strategic direction for transmission system plans
• Advance digital workflows to reduce engineering effort, improve repeatability, and enable high-volume interconnection and compliance studies.
• Geomagnetic Induced Current (GIC) Studies aligned with NERC TPL-007 standards to assess geomagnetic disturbance impacts on transformers and bulk electric system reliability.
• Develops study documentation and may assist with the development of procedures.
• Support cost-benefit assessments and pilot project implementations for GETs in collaboration with operations and asset management teams.
• Power systems studies engineer: Directs and runs power system studies. This engineer can expect many complex and interdisciplinary issues to be within their scope of work. Will lead multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Execute System Impact Studies (SIS) and Facility Studies consistent with FERC Order 2023 and regional tariffs.
• Coordinate the work of interns and technicians.
• Dynamic Performance Assessments, including Transient Stability and Small-Signal Stability Studies to evaluate rotor angle stability, voltage recovery, and oscillatory damping performance under a wide range of system disturbances.

Requirements

• EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering) strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering and/or PE (Professional Engineer) registration preferred.
• Electric power transmission planning engineering experience
• PE (Professional Engineer) registration preferred.
• Effectively communicates the results of studies and department endeavors to a wide range of audiences through written and verbal means
• 5+ years with nationally recognized certification, 7+ years without certification.
• Experience with multiple power system transmission analysis tools such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.
• Experience with at least one power system transmission analysis tool, such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.
• EIT / FE / PE certification
• Internship experience within power industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering) preferred.
• Bachelors or Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET accredited institution or recognized equivalency
• Graduate degree in fields above preferred.
• Demonstrates broad knowledge and proficiency in power systems studies or transmission planning, knowledge of related specialties, and general knowledge of other related disciplines.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• 2+ years of demonstrated experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• Experience with multiple power system transmission analysis tools, such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.
• 9 + years of demonstrated experience with PE (Professional Engineer) registration, 15+ years of demonstrated experience without PE (Professional Engineer) registration.
• Course experience in Introduction to Power Systems (or similar course) preferred.
• 0+ years relevant engineering experience.

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance