Power Plant Operator

Power Plant Operator — Apex Energy Partners

Lubbock, TX | January 2024 – Present

• Operated a 450MW natural gas combined-cycle power plant using Siemens SPPA-T3000 DCS, maintaining grid reliability at 99.98% uptime across 12-hour shifts.
• Executed 140+ Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) isolations for critical high-pressure steam boiler and turbine maintenance, achieving zero safety incidents over 24 months.
• Managed boiler feed water chemistry parameters through chemical dosage adjustment, decreasing scale accumulation by 18% and extending boiler tube life cycles.
• Identified and isolated a malfunctioning feed pump within 4 minutes during a turbine trip event, preventing equipment damage and saving an estimated $85,000 in repair costs.

Associate Power Plant Operator — Vertex Power Utilities

Abilene, TX | September 2020 – December 2023

• Monitored auxiliary equipment including cooling towers, condenser pumps, and air compressors, performing 40+ hourly diagnostic checks to verify thermal efficiency.
• Adjusted fuel-to-air ratios on 3 industrial gas turbines using GE Mark VIe control systems, improving plant fuel efficiency by 2.4% over a 12-month period.
• Coordinated with 5 field technicians during shift handovers to execute complex plant start-ups and shutdowns, reducing average hot-start times by 15 minutes.
• Inspected plant equipment for thermal anomalies using infrared thermography cameras, identifying 12 electrical faults early and preventing unplanned outages.

SCADA, Honeywell Experion, Siemens SPPA-T3000, GE Mark VIe, DCS (Distributed Control Systems), PLC troubleshooting, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Boiler operations, Steam turbine controls, High-voltage switchgear, Water chemistry management, NERC CIP compliance, OSHA safety regulations, Emergency response protocols, Preventive maintenance

Control Room DCS Upgrade

Role: DCS Operations Representative

Tools: Siemens SPPA-T3000, Honeywell Experion, SCADA

Collaborated on the transition of the main control room DCS interface, completing hot cutovers 2 days early and ensuring zero operational downtime.

Turbine Heat Rate Optimization

Role: Lead Operator

Tools: GE Mark VIe, Emerson Ovation, Data Historian

Evaluated and adjusted turbine startup sequences, which successfully reduced auxiliary steam usage by 9% and saved the utility $42,000 in fuel costs.

• NERC Reliability Coordinator (RC) Certification (2023)
• EPA Section 608 Universal Certification (2020)
• OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Certification (2021)
• ASME Certified Boiler Operator (2022)

• Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Conversational)
• Volunteer Work: Volunteer emergency medical responder with regional safety teams (2022-present)
• Availability: 2 weeks notice