Employment

At GreyStone Power, the Meter/Apparatus (M/A) Technician is a multidisciplinary role which combines the traditional roles of Metering Technician, Substation Technician, Controls Technician, and Apparatus Technician.  The M/A Technicians are responsible for the preparation, installation, maintenance, and restoration of a large and diverse amount of equipment, including but not limited to:

Metering:  Single and polyphase meters, current transformers, voltage transformers, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) components, meter wiring, and meter testing.

Substations:  Controls, Breakers, Regulators, Fiber, Switches, Comm Equipment, Conductors, Lighting and all other equipment owned by GSP within the substation, including fencing & grounding when needed.

Line Devices:  3Ø Line Reclosers, 3Ø Automated & Remote Operable Switches, 3Ø Capacitor Banks, 1Ø Electronic Reclosers, and multiple brands of Controls both 1Ø and 3Ø, including but not limited to Schweitzer Engineering Labs (SEL), Cooper, Hubble, ABB, and General Electric.

SCADA/MPLS:  Communication Network Components (routers, cabling, power, batteries, antennas, etc.), field connections from Comm Network to all Substation Equipment and/or Line Devices, SCADA components located at HQ which are not part of System Control’s responsibility.

Drones:  UAS Drones with Visual, Infra-Red/Thermal photometry & videography capability.

Other:  1Ø and 3Ø Transformers, RF Interference Tracking Equipment, and all other testing equipment.

The Meter-Apparatus Technician I position shall perform as a beginning Apparatus crew member assisting senior Apparatus Techs in all aspects of the Meter/Apparatus work group responsibilities.  Learn all equipment and procedures of Meter/Apparatus and work with other Technicians to gain experience and knowledge.

General

• Hone metering and apparatus knowledge and troubleshooting skills.
• Assist other Technicians, Planning & Field Engineers, Field Services Technicians, and all other personnel as requested with any aspects of their jobs.
• Maintain and use proper Personal Protective Equipment in all aspects of the job.
• Clean, restock, and maintain Apparatus shop and Meter shop.
• Clean up oil spills from distribution equipment.
• After initial 6 months of employment and completion of ITS (5-day) training:
  • ­Join On-Call rotation for after-hours meter reconnects, equipment problems, circuit outages, communications restoration (fiber and radio), and oil spill emergencies.
  • ­Enroll in Apparatus Training Course via Northwest Lineman’s College & begin course of study.

  Metering

  • Program, test, clean, install, exchange, disconnect, and repair 1Ø self-contained meters, and assist a senior M/A Tech with the same for 3Ø self-contained and remote metering packages including Current Transformers & Voltage Transformers.
  • Monthly inspection of metering for large C&I accounts, including download of meter data as needed.
  • Assist senior M/A Tech to investigate and resolve member complaints of power quality, radio interference, stray voltage, and repeated lightning damage.
  • Assist senior M/A Tech to investigate, diagnose, and resolve AMI infrastructure, network or meter problems and provide support on AMI systems to other departments as needed.
  • Assist senior M/A Tech with performing Power Quality (PQ) testing at Member’s request to diagnose any PQ issues experienced by the end-user including but not limited to power sags, spikes, intermittent interruptions, high or low voltage, over-heating, or power harmonics.

  Substations

• Assist with troubleshooting, repair of substation and SCADA problems, and assist service crews with emergencies.
• Initially assist a senior M/A Tech with monthly inspection of transmission and distribution equipment in substations.Following ITS Certification – perform monthly inspections independently.
• Assist senior M/A Tech with performing ITS certified transmission/distribution switching when required.

  Line Devices

• Assist senior M/A Tech with conducting testing, maintenance, and repair on 1Ø and 3Ø transformers, 1Ø and 3Ø reclosers and breakers, along with other electrical distribution equipment, and assist senior M/A Techs with 3Ø line switches & pad-mounted switchgear and all associated relays and controls.
• Program 1Ø electronic reclosers using PC and equipment specific software.
• Assist Line crews with the installation & programming of 1Ø line reclosers.
• Assist senior M/A Techs with programming of 1Ø & 3Ø electronic controls (SEL, S&C, Cooper, Elastimold, and others.)

  SCADA/MPLS/Fiber

• Assist with troubleshooting, repair of substation and SCADA problems, and assist service crews with emergency repair and restoration of service.
• Assist senior M/A Techs or OT/WAN/RF Network Techs with routine testing, troubleshooting and maintenance of cooperative owned fiber optic systems.

UAS/Drones

• Assist Licensed Part 107 UAS Pilots with the operations of the UAS (Drone) for routine inspections and specialized missions
  • ­Pilot UAS (drone) for routine inspections and specialized missions.
  • ­Act as spotter for Pilot-in-Command, to avoid obstacles and achieve inspection goals.
  • ­Operate autonomous UAS software for accurate & complete data collection.
  • ­Collect, organize & analyze data.
  • ­Report findings & conclusion to appropriate personnel.

  Other

• Study & learn GreyStone territory, mapping, & streets sufficiently to lead a contract line crew during restoration activities, especially emergency or Disaster Restoration.
  • ­Know the location of all GreyStone owned substations, including multiple routes to reach the substations in the event of inclement weather and possible road blockages.
  • ­Know the Distribution Circuits associated with each substation and their general route, including road names, location of down-line sectionalizing devices and preferred back-feed.

• Required: High school graduate or equivalent.
• Preferred: Technical Certification or degree, from an accredited vocational or technical school in Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics, Communications, Basic Electrical Wiring, or a related field of study.

  In lieu of a degree or certification:  Two years (2+) documented and verified experience with an electric utility or utility contractor in Metering, Apparatus, Controls, or Line work.

• ITS certified operator with switching authority.(Must be obtained within one year of hire)
• Ability to understand technical manuals and wiring diagrams associated with revenue meters, metering circuits, electronic controls, relays, and distribution equipment.
• Forklift operator certification.
• Ability to use common hand tools, multi-meter, and personal computer.
• Requires a valid Georgia driver’s license.
• Willingness to work with Meter/Apparatus Tech II, III and Lead to gain knowledge and experience.
• Must enroll and complete GreyStone’s Apparatus Training Curriculum to progress to Apparatus Tech II & III.
• Must satisfactorily pass GreyStone's pre-employment physical examination and required drug screens

• Must work outside most of the time, sometimes in bad weather.
• Requires walking, lifting (up to 50 pounds), stooping, standing on concrete floors, and climbing and working off ladders (as high as 30 feet).
• Wearing rubber gloves for extended periods of time.
• Manual dexterity to work with small parts.
• Ability to use common hand tools, multi-meter, and a personal computer.
• Exposed to very high voltage when performing acceptance tests on equipment and when working in substations.
• Required to work with oil-filled equipment and spray painting.
• Required to work occasionally with hazardous chemicals involved with oil filled equipment.
• May be required to work overtime or hours other than 7:00am to 6:00pm to meet work schedules.
• Subject to be called out on after hour equipment problems and emergency system restoration.