Chemistry and Environmental; C&E Technician

Major Oak Power Station is a 305-megawatt lignite-fired facility located in Robertson County near Bremond, Texas—approximately 150 miles south of Dallas and 160 miles northwest of Houston. The plant employs circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) combustion technology to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx). To further control pollutants, crushed limestone is introduced into the combustion process, significantly lowering sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions and supporting more environmentally responsible power generation.

As a C&E Technician, you will provide strategic oversight and planning for plant water treatment, chemistry programs, and environmental compliance, ensuring operational efficiency and regulatory adherence. You will coordinate and perform analysis, sampling, and monitoring of plant and environmental chemistry, lead efforts to optimize chemical usage and corrosion control, and support compliance with all permits and regulatory obligations. Additionally, you will assist with reporting, inspections, inventory management, and general operational support to maintain safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible plant operations.

• Partners with Operations to provide strategic oversight of plant water treatment, water/steam purity control, and chemistry-related projects for the plant.
• Develops plant chemistry and environmental compliance procedures, instructions, and guidelines.
• Provides leadership, coordination, and planning for functional areas supporting environmental compliance obligations to ensure all regulatory requirements are achieved.
• Delivers operational recommendations and suggests changes, including dosage rates and supplementary chemicals, to optimize system operation.
• Coordinates and performs analysis, sampling, and monitoring of environmental, boiler water/steam, feedwater, cooling water, and demineralizer makeup water chemistry, including specialized cooling water system sampling, daily log-sheet reviews, inspections, and interaction with Operations and chemical suppliers to provide guidance on chemical programs and dosage adjustments based on trending and computer tracking data.
• Leads efforts to monitor chemical consumption and corrosion rates throughout the cooling tower system, reducing usage wherever possible and assessing the effects of corrosion on system performance, including monthly reviews of chemical usage (lb/gal and $/gal).
• Maintains acceptable chemistry quality through laboratory standards, instrument calibrations, and related procedures; tests and replaces silica, sodium, analyzer reagents, and standards as needed, performs calibration checks of all analyzers, and documents results.
• Investigates environmental non-compliance incidents.
• Reviews Daily Continuous Emissions Monitoring (CEMS) reports and documents associated activities.
• Monitors permit compliance and regulatory obligations, observing equipment, coordinating with plant personnel, assisting with TPDES, DPCC/DCR, and Right-to-Know compliance, and maintaining current knowledge of all permits and regulations.
• Maintains VEEC Method 9 Certification.
• Conducts annual sampling as needed.
• Supports the team in completing daily, weekly, and monthly Environmental Inspection Reports, observing operations, providing feedback to improve site environmental awareness, and coordinating annual outage inspections of boiler drums and condenser water boxes.
• Manages inventory and purchasing of bulk chemicals, laboratory reagents, and supplies.
• Performs housekeeping and maintenance support duties as required.

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.

The C&E Technician reports…