Plant Engineer

Faribault Energy Park, a 265MW state‑of‑the‑art combined‑cycle facility owned by the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, is located in Faribault, Minnesota, and features a GE Frame 7FA dual‑fuel combustion turbine generator paired with an A10 GE steam turbine. Minnesota River Station, located in Chaska, Minnesota, sits on a seven‑acre site along the Minnesota River and serves the southwestern Twin Cities as a natural gas‑fired peaking power plant with a Siemens SGT 800 gas turbine and a 49MW capacity, operated primarily during periods of high demand.

Together, these facilities provide flexible, reliable, and environmentally conscious energy to the region, combining peaking support with efficient base‑load generation.

The Plant Engineer will support two generating facilities:
Faribault Energy Park and the MRS plant site.

Faribault Energy Park is a 1x1 combined‑cycle facility consisting of one GE 7FA gas turbine and one GE A-10 steam turbine. A major capital project is scheduled within the next year to upgrade the existing 7FA.03 gas turbine to a 7FA.05 configuration, including replacement of the gas turbine, compressor, and exhaust systems. The Plant Engineer will play a key role in supporting this upgrade.

In addition to responsibilities at Faribault, the Plant Engineer will serve as the primary point of contact for the MRS site. This includes coordinating operations and maintenance (O&M) activities such as planning and scheduling, as well as enhancing and developing maintenance and monitoring programs for the Siemens SGT‑800 turbine and associated auxiliary systems. The role also involves plant performance monitoring and supporting condition‑based maintenance initiatives.

Across both sites, the Plant Engineer will ensure NERC compliance by coordinating audits, maintaining and updating procedures, and supporting training efforts. The position requires analyzing operational data, managing resources effectively, and collaborating with vendors to drive continuous improvement while maintaining a strong safety culture.

This role is designed to provide broad exposure and development opportunities, preparing the individual for future leadership positions within the organization.

• Provide engineering oversight of plant operations at Minnesota River Station and Faribault Energy Park, evaluating system performance, troubleshooting issues, and implementing technical improvements.
• Monitor and analyze the Siemens SGT 800 turbine and auxiliary systems at Minnesota River and GE Frame 7FA turbines at Faribault, evaluating efficiency, heat rate, and availability trends, and implementing engineering solutions to optimize performance and reliability.
• Record and analyze outages, equipment failures, and unusual events, performing root cause analysis and implementing recovery and preventive actions.
• Evaluate and optimize Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and PLCs to ensure safe, efficient startup, shutdown, and peaking operations.
• Implement monitoring programs such as vibration analysis, thermography, and oil analysis, while ensuring accurate instrumentation and measurement systems.
• Maintain and update plant drawings, SOPs, and operational procedures, administering the Configuration Control Program to ensure documentation accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborate with equipment vendors, engineering firms, and contractors to resolve technical issues, implement field modifications, and optimize labor and resources.
• Support reliability studies and manage capital improvement projects to maximize availability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Fully participate in NAES Safety and Regulatory Compliance Programs, promoting a strong safety culture and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Assist operations and maintenance teams with startup, shutdown, and troubleshooting to ensure safe and reliable plant performance.
• Travel to and provide operational and engineering support at the Faribault Energy Park, assisting with maintenance, reliability initiatives, and plant optimization.
• Monitor and report on compliance with safety, environmental, and emissions regulations, supporting internal…