Job ID 5186

Located in the heart of the Bluegrass state, East Kentucky Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) electric utility with headquarters in Winchester, KY which is just a short distance from Lexington. Our cooperative has a vital mission: to safely generate and deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable energy to our 16 owner-member cooperatives serving more than 1 million Kentuckians across 87 counties. We're leaders in environmental stewardship and we¿re committed to provide power to improve the lives of people in Kentucky.

As passionate as we are about providing smart energy solutions, we are equally excited about people. We strive to cultivate connected workplaces where great ideas are born and rewarding careers are built.

EKPC offers a wage and benefits package that ranks among the best in the state. There is no waiting period on our medical, dental and vision insurance plans so you are covered on day one, and the dental plan is free for employees. Our generous 401(k) retirement plan allows employees to start contributing to their plan after a month of service, and after 3 months of service, EKPC will automatically contribute 6.5% of base wages AND match employee contributions up to 4.5%. Our competitive vacation and sick leave package starts day one to allow for flexibly and a healthy work-life balance.

For more information on our plentiful benefits package visit our website at https://www.ekpc.coop/work-ekpc

EKPC is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

No Expiration Date

This posting will remain open until the position is filled. We encourage you to apply early as we will review and consider candidates as they are received.

Key Roles

This position performs technical work in connection with the installation, operation, and maintenance of all types of protective relays, control schemes and associated equipment in transmission facilities, distribution substations, generating plants, and any other associated facility. In addition, this position is responsible for installing, testing, and maintaining SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) equipment, including RTUs (Remote Terminal Units), their networks, and various protocols to ensure accurate telemetry of EKPC¿s transmission and generation assets.

Key Responsibilities

Protection & Control Technician

Protection & Control Technician Level 1

o Inspects substations for proper grounding on fences, structures, and equipment

o Identifies minimum approach distances

o Inspects PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), such as rubber gloves

o Inspects, cleans, and tests hot sticks

o Inspects vehicles prior to use

o Locates and references SDS (Safety Data Sheets) manual

o Understands and uses established LOTO (Lock-Out-Tag-Out) procedures

o Identifies safety procedures and hazards associated with job assignments

o Identifies tools and equipment required for each job assignment

o Reads and interprets substation one-line and three-line diagrams to verify switching operations

o Identifies bus switching configurations

o Identifies substation equipment including isolation switches, circuit breakers, transformers, and instrument transformers

o Operates the following in accordance with dispatch switching orders: Local/supervisory switches, Recloser Cut-Off switches, Circuit Breaker Control Switches, Disconnect and Bypass switches

o Identifies transmission and distribution substation problems and notifies dispatch

o Assists dispatch and other personnel during emergency outages

•

Operations and Maintenance:

o Identifies substation conditions by the color of panel indicating lights

o Checks panel indicating lights and replaces as necessary

o Identifies relay and device functions by their IEEE device numbers

o Reads and determines accuracy of panel, revenue, and relay meters

o Records relay targets

o Obtains relay event records as directed from microprocessor relays

o Reads and interprets annunciator alarms

o Identifies various relay types, electromechanical, solid state, microprocessor, lock-out, sudden pressure

o Inspects relays and relay panels to be in good operating condition

o Inspects low voltage wiring and control cable inside control buildings and substation equipment for deterioration, connections, etc.

o Check for proper DC Voltage Indication from battery chargers and relays

o Check for unintentional battery grounds

o Tests and troubleshoot substation power supplies and fuses, including AC circuits, DC Circuits, AC & DC service panels, and secondary panel fuses

o Records counter data on reclosers, circuit breakers, and circuit switchers

o Checks for proper communication indication (i.e. TX/RX lights) on RTUs and relays

o Checks power status and LED indicator lamps on RTU circuit peripherals, including CSU/DSU, HVIU, modem, fiber optic converter, and telephone line switch

o Monitors the operation of SCADA communications (i.e. TX/RX lights and/or NovaTech panel indication) to IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices), dispatch, and EMS (Energy Management System), etc. both locally and remotely

o Assists system operators and member systems with SCADA related issues as needed

o Checks, and if needed, power-cycle relays, RTUs, meters, modems, and other equipment

o Installs and replaces low voltage wiring and control cable as required inside control buildings and substation equipment, including on relay, RTU, & meter panels, transformers, breakers, CTs (Current Transformers), PTs (Potential Transformers), AC and DC circuits and service panels

o Operates local/supervisory and recloser cut-off switches to prove contact arrangement and ensure they function according to design

o Performs cable insulation (Megger) and continuity tests on new equipment

o Performs ratio, polarity, and insulation tests on current transformers

o Performs ratio and insulation tests on new potential transformers

o Performs continuity and current wire checks to ensure AC and DC circuits are connected according to design

o Sets and programs relays and RTUs

o Tests relays using a Doble test set and close out test results using RTS

o Performs DC functionals of relay and SCADA circuits

o Performs CT/PT verifications and load checks on energized equipment

Protection & Control Technician Level 2

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Safety Awareness:

o Conducts detailed job briefings to identify work tasks, risks, and job hazards for self and crew to help ensure work assignments are conducted safely

o Uses job hazard analysis tools to help prevent personnel injury and equipment damage

o Uses Human Performance improvement tools to help prevent inadvertent outages, injury, and equipment damage

o Determines when conditions exist to shut down substations and notifies System Operator

•

Switching and Grounding:

o Reads and interprets relaying one-line diagrams

o Reads and interprets relaying three-line diagrams and identifies switching operations to complete tasks, such as tying two circuits or substations together

o Determines substation voltages by insulating equipment

o Identifies and verifies switching and electrical clearances

o Performs high voltage switching using hot sticks to de-energize, isolate, and bypass high voltage equipment

o Uses hot sticks to hang grounds and/or test leads on isolated equipment

o Obtains clearances and places hold cards on isolated equipment

o Tests and places equipment in service, including mobile substations

•

Operations and Maintenance:

o Coordinates with appropriate individuals to resolve communication problems

o Troubleshoots and corrects problems with SCADA system and intelligent electronic device (IED) communications

o Troubleshoots all types of relays, RTUs, IEDs, and protection schemes to identify and correct problems

o Monitors and prioritizes the equipment trouble databases and schedules repairs.

o Repairs or replaces low voltage energized wiring for AC and DC, relaying, and RTU circuits

o Communicates with microprocessor relays and retrieves relay event records after system disturbances

o Tests and calibrates single function electromechanical and solid-state relays, including overcurrent, voltage, frequency, and sync check, etc.

o Tests and calibrates microprocessor relays used for distribution, line, transformer, bus, breaker failure, overcurrent, and reclosing

o Tests, calibrates, troubleshoots, repairs, and replaces transducers as necessary

o Schedules and maintains protection and control assets, including NERC/BES assets

o Performs routine DC functional checks of protection and control schemes in transmission and distribution substations

o Compares microprocessor ¿As Sent¿ and ¿As Left¿ relay settings for accuracy

o Maintains relay records and databases ¿ RTS and PowerBase

o Performs routine tests and maintains RTUs and associated peripherals

o Reads and interprets various consultant and EKPC designed protection and control schematics, including tripping, closing, current, potential, alarm, annunciator, supervisory control, and pilot relaying

o Replaces and/or installs low voltage control wiring and cables as required inside control buildings, control cabinets, relay panels, CTs, PTs, circuit breakers, circuit switchers, RTU panels, AC and DC service panels, transformers, miscellaneous substation equipment, and other associated devices

o Sets, programs, configures, and installs RTUs and SCADA communications devices, networks, and equipment, including IEDs, communications processors, automation computers, Ethernet, RS-485, RS-232, cellular modems, fiber optics, and landlines in power plants, and transmission and distribution substations

o Performs cable insulation (Megger) and continuity tests on existing equipment

o Performs current tests (run currents) on circuits as shown on AC Schematics, including panels and yard equipment

o Performs ratio, polarity, and insulation tests on existing CTs

o Performs ratio and insulation tests on PTs

o Verifies proper CT connections on line, bus and transformer differential circuits

o Performs continuity tests on circuits as shown on AC and DC schematics, including panels and yard equipment

o Verifies local/supervisory, recloser cut-off, and control switch configuration and ensures proper operation

o Verifies lock-out-relay configuration and ensures proper operation

o Sets and programs microprocessor relays, RTUs, and other IEDs

o Configures and provides protocol-specific RTU point maps to the Control Center Applications and Technology (CCAT) staff as necessary

o Performs operational checks of protection schemes, including SCADA, sudden pressure, and pressure relief circuits as shown on DC schematics

o Interprets system phasor diagrams for internal and external line connections

o Interprets transformer connections and phase relationships

o Performs CT/PT verifications and load checks using a phase angle meter

o Identifies primary, secondary, dual primary, and backup relays

o Assists with and interprets end-to-end tests on PLC (Power Line Carrier) blocking schemes

o Assists and interprets end-to-end tests on microwave or fiber POTT (Permissive Overreaching Transferred Trip), Line Current Differential, and DTT (Direct Transfer Trip) Schemes

o Performs RTU checkout at transmission facilities and verifies all SCADA points, including analog, digital, control, and pulse accumulators both locally and with EMS support personnel

Protection & Control Technician Level 3

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Safety Awareness:

o Determines if voltage readings are real, phantom, or floating

o Determines when CTs are open and how to mitigate associated hazards

o Determines when touch and step potential hazards are present

•

Switching and Grounding

o Performs switching to re-energize distribution and transmission substations

o Determines proper line and/or equipment grounding

•

Operations and Maintenance

o Performs DC functional trip testing on protection schemes in power plants and EHV (Extra High Voltage) substations, including generating equipment and breaker failure

o Tests, maintains, and troubleshoots current and potential schemes and verify primary to secondary accuracy

o Replaces retrofitted controls on relay panels

o Isolates and troubleshoots energized CT and PT circuits

o Installs auxiliary CTs and PTs

o Tests, maintains, and troubleshoots peripheral equipment (transceivers, converters, auxiliary relays, etc.) in relay panels. Repairs or replaces as needed

o Sets, tests, and calibrates electromechanical line relays (i.e. distance, impedance, and differential relays)

o Sets, tests, and calibrates microprocessor multi-function line and differential relays ¿ including SEL-421, 321, 311, 411, 487, 587Z, 787, etc.

o Sets, tests, and calibrates microprocessor multi-function generator relays ¿ including SEL-300, 387, 400, 700, and Beckwith 3420, 3425, 3425a, etc.

o Interprets differential operate, restraint, and phase compensation characteristics in bus and transformer microprocessor relays

o Performs and interprets end-to-end tests on Power Line Carrier DCB (Directional Carrier Blocking) Schemes

o Performs and interprets end-to-end tests on microwave or fiber POTT (Permissive Over-reaching Transferred Trip), DTT (Direct Transferred Trip), and Line Current Differential Schemes

o Performs and interprets high current tests for bus differential schemes

o Validates and verifies mapping to all IEDs and hard-wired equipment through SCADA to member system and EMS

o Configures/maps RTUs and IEDs using various protocols

o Calibrates RTU reference points

o Determines scale factors required for master to RTU interface

o Determines communication parameters for IED to RTU interface

o Develops RTU and IED configurations

o Tests, monitors, and troubleshoots RTUs using ASE test set

o Provides SCADA hardware and software support to member systems as directed

o Implement changes and configure new communication channels to EMS/SCADA system front end processor

§ Installs, sets, programs, and tests annunciators and DFRs (Digital Fault Recorders), including SEL-2505, 2411, RTAC, SAM, Tesla D400

Performs other duties as assigned

Key Requirements

Education and Certifications / Licenses:

Experience:

Skills and Abilities:

Competencies

Working Conditions