Transmission Planning Engineer, or Staff, or Senior Engineer

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider and Fortune 500 company, dedicated to serving millions of electricity and natural gas customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. We make energy work better for our customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar

• delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy. Xcel Energy is a place where you’ll have opportunities to grow, expand your skills, and help lead the clean energy transition. We offer meaningful rewards, recognition, and support to help you build your career and make an impact
• both on the job and beyond. Most importantly, it means you’ll be joining a company that knows employees are the driving force behind its success and is committed to helping you be your best. Xcel Energy supports a hybrid work model to enable collaboration and flexibility. Many roles are expected to work onsite three days per week (Tuesday–Thursday); however, work location expectations vary based on role, team, and business needs. This position can be hired at the Entry, Staff, or Senior level, depending on the candidates' overall experience, qualifications, and interview. This position will be based in Denver, Colorado on a hybrid (3 days per week in the office) work schedule. Key Job Performance Criteria (will differ based upon job level) Perform Comprehensive Power System Planning Studies, including:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Geomagnetic Induced Current (GIC) Studies aligned with NERC TPL-007 standards to assess geomagnetic disturbance impacts on transformers and bulk electric system reliability. Support Regulatory Compliance and Model Validation Activities:
• 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.
• Support dynamic model validation efforts per WECC and

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standards, ensuring fidelity of generator, inverter, and composite load models for stability studies. Conduct Advanced Inverter-Based Resource (IBR) Integration Studies:

• Assess grid-forming/grid-following inverter technologies and their impact on system strength, transient behavior, and control interactions.
• Apply IEEE 2800 requirements for IBR performance, including ride-through, reactive power support, and fast frequency response capabilities.
• Address challenges of high renewable penetration and develop mitigation strategies to maintain bulk power system reliability. Support Western Interconnection and Regional Planning:
• Coordinate with WestConnect Planning Management Committee, WECC Reliability Subcommittees, and interconnection working groups to support transmission expansion planning, regional policy compliance, and reliability initiatives.
• Engage in regional and subregional transmission planning processes, contributing to multi-utility studies and cross-border resource integration scenarios. Perform Resource Interconnection and Transmission Service Studies:
• Execute System Impact Studies (SIS) and Facility Studies consistent with FERC Order 2023 and regional tariffs.
• Evaluate interconnection requests for conventional generation, IBRs, storage, hybrid resources, and emerging technologies such as microgrids and aggregated DERs under FERC 2222 frameworks.
• Recommend necessary transmission reinforcements, upgrades, or operational solutions to accommodate new resources and loads. Evaluate Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs):
• 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.
• Support cost-benefit assessments and pilot project implementations for GETs in collaboration with operations and asset management teams. Automation and Digitalization:
• Develop and maintain Python-based automation tools to streamline study execution, scenario management, and results post-processing for PSSE, PSLF, TARA, TSAT, PSCAD simulations.
• Advance digital workflows to reduce engineering effort, improve repeatability, and enable high-volume interconnection and compliance studies. Reporting, Regulatory Filings, and Knowledge Dissemination:
• Author and deliver technical reports, regulatory filings, and executive summaries for internal leadership and external regulatory agencies.
• Present findings at regional stakeholder meetings, industry conferences (e.g., IEEE PES, CIGRÉ), and technical workshops to communicate planning approaches and emerging challenges. Industry Engagement and Representation:
• 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. Mentorship and Technical Leadership:
• Mentor engineers, interns, and analysts on advanced simulation methodologies, IBR modeling, EMT techniques, and emerging grid technologies.
• Provide technical leadership to internal teams, fostering expertise development in grid dynamics, automation, and planning best practices.
• Lead internal technical workshops and contribute to the development of best-in-class planning documentation and standards.
• Support development of capital budgets, conceptual transmission projects, and economic analyses in joint planning contexts. Position Summary: Transmission Planning Engineer (Entry Level) Annual Base Salary $70,000 - $88,666 This is an entry level position designed to develop technical expertise in transmission planning and power systems simulations. The Engineer performs work that involves conventional plans, investigations, studies, or modeling equipment with relatively few complex features and for which there are precedents. Activities are of limited scope requiring knowledge of principles and techniques commonly employed in power systems engineering. Engineer will work under the guidance of more senior engineers, learning the intricacies of planning and modeling tools used for system evaluations and contributing to large system studies that span multiple years into the future. As proficiency is gained, may work on portions of larger projects. Works under supervision and follows established procedures. May supervise or coordinate the work of interns, technicians and/or others and develop scope of work documents under the supervision of higher-level engineers. This role requires a balance of technical acumen and strong communication skills, as the entry-level engineer will need to convey technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Communication will occur in various formats, including in-person meetings, virtual discussions, and written reports. Essential Responsibilities:
• Under the direction of higher-level engineer or supervisor: performs model development, modeling reviews, desi