CAISO Project Settlement Intern

About Ava Community Energy

Ava Community Energy (Ava) is a Joint Powers Authority comprising Alameda County and its incorporated areas, and the cities of Lathrop, Stockton, and Tracy. Ava’s charter is to provide its customers with low carbon, cost-effective electricity that integrates innovative energy products and maximizes local benefits through the development of local solutions, ranging from increasing access to rooftop solar to supporting the adoption of electric vehicles.

Culture and Commitment to Diversity

Ava believes in a vibrant culture that supports and nurtures a workplace that offers every individual the opportunity to attain professional goals and contribute to accomplishing our mission. We foster a culture of open communication, responsibility, curiosity, accountability, and teamwork. We want creative problem solvers that are excited to work in an entrepreneurial environment and grow our organization!

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of our service area’s rich culture and communities. We welcome a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and skills.

We strongly encourage people of all characteristics to apply and prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment of any type based on age, religion, color, gender identity or expression, race, ancestry, or national origin, religion or creed, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or characteristics, and those with a disability as protected by federal, state and local laws.

Position Summary

Ava is seeking to hire a full-time Power Resources Intern, reporting to the Power Resources Settlement Manager. Ava is looking for candidates to conduct work that will include supervised analysis of Ava’s renewable generation project's California Independent System Operator (CAISO) settlement history. The work will include but not be limited to evaluating costs and revenues across different seasons and scenarios—such as cold vs. warm months, heatwave days, and peak vs. non-peak hours. This analysis will inform a report that will identify key areas, determine which projects generated the most revenue and why and uncover reasons behind high costs for certain projects and scenarios.

Position Details

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Access and retrieve historical CAISO data, organize files and datasets in a structured repository (Excel) and verify completeness of the datasets, ensuring all necessary records are available
• Organize data by project, and then add categorizations for resource type and organize data by settlement type (CAISO Charge Code)
• Analyze project costs and revenues across seasons and operational scenarios (e.g., cold vs. warm months, heatwave days, peak vs. non-peak hours) to identify trends and discrepancies
• Generate insights to pinpoint key risk areas and distinguish revenue-driving projects from cost-intensive ones, informing strategic decision-making
• Summarize key findings using graphs, charts, Heatmaps, etc. 
• Develop summary tables and visualizations using Excel PivotTables, heatmaps, and PowerPoint slides for presentation and present a report outlining key takeaways, discrepancies, and recommendations
• Other duties as required.

 Minimum Qualifications

• Experience with Microsoft office tools such as MS PowerPoint, MS word, MS Excel. MS Excel - preferably intermediate/advanced Excel. Proficient with IF statements, data validation, Index and Match, SUMIF and COUNTIF and other alternatives 
• Experience with Gmail, SharePoint, able to retrieve data from a User Interface (UI) or database, able to work with Adobe/PDF
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to spot trends, errors, and discrepancies in data, can maintain data organization and ensure accuracy and consistency in data reporting
• Understanding of energy tariffs and how they impact settlements
• Familiarity with CAISO billing methodologies and settlement processes
   

Working Conditions and Stipend

The hourly rate for this position is $30 per hour.

This position will be based in Ava headquarters in Oakland, near BART. Ava's team has a hybrid approach inclusive of in-office and remote work. This role is expected to go into the office Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first Wednesday of the month.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Ava is dedicated to reasonably accommodate an applicant for known physical or mental disabilities so that the applicant may participate in the application process. We will engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with any employee with a known physical or mental disability to identify potential reasonable accommodations, if any, to enable the employee to perform the essential functions of their position.

• General office environment is primarily sedentary work which requires the following physical activities: standing, sitting, walking, reaching, lifting, finger dexterity, grasping, repetitive motions, talking, hearing and visual acuity.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• The noise level is usually moderate.

Licenses/Certificates

• Possession and continued maintenance of a valid class C California driver’s license or the ability to provide alternate transportation and a safe driving record.

Working at Ava Community Energy

Ava is committed to complying with applicable laws, including the Americans with Disability Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act, ensuring equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability. Ava prohibits unlawful discrimination based on age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), genetic information or characteristics, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, or on any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local laws. Ava strives to maintain a COVID-free workplace, being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment (exemptions will be evaluated by legal counsel).

The information contained herein has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. The information also does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.