Intern - Electrical Engineer

Muscatine Power and Water's A/O Engineering department is offering a firsthand learning opportunity for Electrical Engineering students to develop an understanding of how a municipal electric utility operates. Through our summer internship program, the successful candidate will learn about Electrical Transmission & Distribution systems response, planning, & analysis, how MPW and MISO interrelate, and gain exposure to reliability, protection, and facility maintenance at an introductory level.

Exposure to Water Transmission & Distribution systems, Electric & Water Metering, and Technical Services can be offered if the successful candidate shows interest in those areas.

Scope of Work:

Primary opportunities within Engineering

• Provide field assistance for on-going projects in coordination with Civil and Electrical Engineers
• Modeling, system analysis, and introduction to electric substation, transmission, and distribution systems
• Modeling, system analysis, and introduction to water pumping, treatment, transmission, and distribution systems
• Customer power quality analyses
• Provide GPS field assistance
• Transformer, switchgear, & cable procurement & inventory processes

Job shadow opportunities within Metering

• Underground facilities locating activities
• Radio meter installation
• Electric meter installation & testing, including instrument rated metering
• Verify backflow devices

Job shadow opportunities within Technical Services:

• Test & calibrate protective relays with the Protection & Control Technician
• Maintain electric & water RTU communication systems
• Test & maintain substation equipment with Substation Technicians
• Improve substation equipment maintenance methodology & practices

Period of Work:

The intern will work 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, beginning in May and ending in August. Allowances may be made for preplanned summer vacations within that period.

Resources:

All members of the A/O Engineering Department, Metering, & Technical Services will support the intern and help answer questions as they come up. In addition, the engineering group will meet weekly to track/steer project progress and identify tasks & resources needed for upcoming tasks.

Outcomes for the Intern:

• Gain an understanding of Transmission and Distribution protection schemes and the necessary testing to prove the reliable operation of these important systems.
• Gain an understanding of how Transmission Reliability & Coordination studies are conducted and how they impact overall reliability of MPW's facilities and the Bulk Electric System.
• Gain an understanding of how SCADA data, real-time & historical, is vital to the planning of an Electric Utility.
• Gain an understanding of the equipment found inside of a typical Transmission and Distribution Substation and the importance of reliable operation of this equipment.
• Gain an understanding of the many testing procedures needed to prove the integrity of substation equipment to maintain reliable operation and eliminate damaging faults.
• Help find ways to eliminate waste through our continuous improvement program.

Qualifications:

• Working towards an Electrical Engineering degree is required.
• Prior Engineering Internship is a plus.
• Must display an elevated level of attention to detail.
• Must possess superior customer service skills and function as a collaborator.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and listening skills, with ability to build productive professional relationships.
• Must be able to attend work on a regular basis for the duration of the internship.