Instrumentation, Controls and Electrical; IC&E Technician

Overview

The Berkeley Cogeneration Plant is a 1x1 combined cycle facility powered by an LM2500PJ gas turbine, providing 22–25 MW of electricity and steam directly to the University of California, Berkeley campus. The site includes a steam plant in operation since the 1930s and a cogeneration plant originally constructed in the mid-1980s, together supporting the campus heating distribution system. With 95% availability, the CHP plant serves as the primary steam provider, while auxiliary boilers and the steam plant ensure a consistent, year-round supply to meet campus demand.

The Instrumentation, Controls, and Electrical (IC&E) Technician at the Berkeley Cogeneration Plant plays a critical role in maintaining and optimizing the plant’s combined cycle and campus steam systems. This position involves calibrating, troubleshooting, and maintaining instrumentation, control, and electrical systems, while supporting reliable electricity and steam delivery to the University of California, Berkeley campus. The IC&E Technician collaborates with engineers, operations staff, and contractors to ensure safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant plant operations.

• Calibrates, tests, maintains, troubleshoots, and installs power plant instrumentation, control systems, and electrical systems. This includes control valves, fan dampers, motors, variable-speed drives, battery chargers, inverters, transmitters, analyzers, and instrumentation specific to natural gas-fired combined cycle and campus steam plants, including combustion/steam turbines.
• Performs corrective, preventive, predictive, and emergency maintenance on electrical systems, including medium-voltage switch gear, transformers, motors, control centers, batteries, inverters, chargers, and generator excitation equipment.
• Maintains, troubleshoots, and optimizes PLC systems, conducting inspections, diagnosing faults, fine-tuning programs, and collaborating with engineers to enhance system performance.
• Maintains and monitors DCS and SCADA systems, ensuring proper operation, troubleshooting faults, and supporting efficient electricity and steam delivery to campus facilities.
• Calibrates, maintains, and troubleshoots turbine and boiler control systems, ensuring reliable operation of the LM2500PJ gas turbine, steam turbine, and auxiliary boilers, while collaborating with engineers to optimize efficiency.
• Coordinates with operations and maintenance staff to ensure efficient workflows, minimize downtime, and support integrated campus energy needs.
• Installs new equipment and system modifications while following safety protocols, industry standards, and UC Berkeley environmental requirements.
• Maintains, cleans, and properly stores shop equipment and tools, including specialized instrumentation and electrical maintenance tools.
• Keeps detailed logs of issues, repairs, and downtime, and updates plant documentation, calibration records, vendor information, and operational databases.
• Implements safe work practices, identifies hazards, and recommends or initiates corrective actions to maintain a safe work environment.
• Assists the Plant Engineer with plant testing, including turbine controls, combustion control processes, and campus boiler control systems.
• Works with outside contractors during overhauls and projects, providing technical guidance and oversight on instrumentation, control, and electrical work.
• Handles and disposes of hazardous waste, such as batteries and fluorescent bulbs, in accordance with university and regulatory standards.
• Performs additional tasks as assigned to support reliable electricity and steam delivery and overall plant operations.

NAES Safe
Safety is a core value at NAES, and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to remain mentally alert and work safely at all times. Employees must also adhere to all safety warnings and posted signs while on company property. Additionally, they are required to follow all NAES safety rules and procedures. Adherence to these safety responsibilities is one of the key factors in the evaluation of each employee’s performance.

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