Working for a Utility
Working for a Utility
(OP)
Hello all,
I currently work for a consulting firm providing engineering for REMCs and municipalities (I personally do mostly system planning). I'm getting a little bored... most of my day is spent sitting in front of a computer. I update system models (using various commercial software packages), perform my analyses, write up my report, and repeat for the next utility. Typically, my jobs are small enough that they can be performed entirely by me without sitting down and talking to other people (aside from the utility itself). I'd like to work somewhere where I can move around... not necessarily field work (though that is an option), but just somewhere I can be on my feet, plan and talk with other people, etc.
I'm giving some thought to applying for work at a utility. I'm thinking I'd rather work for a larger IOU as opposed to an REMC. I imagine I would work in a system planning capacity, though this is not necessarily true. I'd also like to work in transmission, though I'm open to distribution.
What is day to day life for an engineer like at a utility? What positions would allow me to step back from a computer model? Am I meeting with people discussing various projects? I really enjoy getting out my calculator and paper and doing the calculations myself rather than relying solely on a model... what position would this best match? My impression is that the employees can be worked pretty hard... will 55 hour weeks become routine?
I'm just looking for an overview of life at utilities. Any advice you can give would certainly be appreciated.
Thank you
I currently work for a consulting firm providing engineering for REMCs and municipalities (I personally do mostly system planning). I'm getting a little bored... most of my day is spent sitting in front of a computer. I update system models (using various commercial software packages), perform my analyses, write up my report, and repeat for the next utility. Typically, my jobs are small enough that they can be performed entirely by me without sitting down and talking to other people (aside from the utility itself). I'd like to work somewhere where I can move around... not necessarily field work (though that is an option), but just somewhere I can be on my feet, plan and talk with other people, etc.
I'm giving some thought to applying for work at a utility. I'm thinking I'd rather work for a larger IOU as opposed to an REMC. I imagine I would work in a system planning capacity, though this is not necessarily true. I'd also like to work in transmission, though I'm open to distribution.
What is day to day life for an engineer like at a utility? What positions would allow me to step back from a computer model? Am I meeting with people discussing various projects? I really enjoy getting out my calculator and paper and doing the calculations myself rather than relying solely on a model... what position would this best match? My impression is that the employees can be worked pretty hard... will 55 hour weeks become routine?
I'm just looking for an overview of life at utilities. Any advice you can give would certainly be appreciated.
Thank you






RE: Working for a Utility
RE: Working for a Utility
RE: Working for a Utility
RE: Working for a Utility
RE: Working for a Utility
At the right size muni (say somewhere less than 1000 MW peak) every engineer wears a couple of different hats. You could be the planning guy AND the protection guy, for example.
RE: Working for a Utility
At some point, large muni's, tend to look more and more like IOU's. However small muni's can be very unorginized, and tend to lean on a few people to order things.
Most orginizations have a few very techinical people leading (and not necessarly the bosses), and a number of supporting, and a good deal of people doing the actual work.
The people doing the work are usually the craft people, linemen, technications, customer service, etc.
So the question is are your skills at the leader, or support level? This should be a question you ask of yourself.