If you are interested in taking an active role in ensuring reliability of the country’s power grid, you will be surely keen at embracing a career as a bulk power engineer. Indeed bulk power engineer are the people in charge of the research, development, design, manufacturing and testing of bulk power generation machinery and plants. For instance, these specialized engineers will decide which type of nuclear plant will be used, design electrical plants and power generation systems. Therefore, power bulk engineer are at the very source of power generation and distribution in the country.
A particular focus for power bulk engineers consists in ensuring the reliability and compliance of electrical systems. Power bulk engineers working for electrical companies and manufacturing industries will be in charge of developing reliability standards, complying with the national reliability standards, analyzing policies for development of the infrastructure necessary for a reliable interconnected power system and conducting power system analyses. Whether power bulk engineers work in a power generation plant or a manufacturing company, its duty include an internal auditing focus to ensure power generation and distribution systems.
How to become a bulk power engineer? Most entry-level power bulk engineers are required to possess at least a bachelor degree from an electrical or engineering field of study. But most companies will prefer candidates who had already a prior experience of 5 to 7 years with either a regulatory agency or an electric transmission industry including data and records analysis and management. Most recruiters also expect the successful candidates to be creative, logical, and team-leader. Eventually, you will need to be familiar with NERC reliability standards, bulk power system planning and operations, compliance enforcement, regulatory proceedings, and public speaking.
For those who want to embrace a career as a power bulk engineer, you have to know that it is very high-paying and competitive job market. Most recruiters will favor experienced engineers over new graduate. However the job prospects remains good since the overall employment for power bulk engineers is expected to grow at an average are trough 2014. The increase of security and reliability requirements for power generation and distribution systems may create a large number of opportunities for these specialized engineers.
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