Meter Technician-Trainee

Company Summary Statement : PPL Electric Utilities delivers safe, reliable and affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses throughout its 29-county service territory in eastern and central Pennsylvania. Through smart investments and innovation, it has built one of the most advanced electric grids in the United States. And, with over a century of expertise, PPL Electric remains focused on continuing to build the utility of the future, today. Regularly ranking among the country’s best utility companies for reliability and customer satisfaction, PPL Electric has won numerous awards, including 30 J.D. Power Awards for providing top-quality service to residential and business customers. PPL Electric is a major employer and an active supporter of the communities it serves. Empowering employees, community members and initiatives across its service territory through volunteerism and investments in organizations that support education, sustainability, and wellbeing. Overview:

Performs adjustment, calibration, testing, maintenance and repair of interchange, generation, IPP and complex I & C customer metering equipment. Commissions, troubleshoots and maintains Automated Meter Reading Substation Communication Equipment and other AMR equipment. Develops and maintains PPL watthour standards and associated shop equipment. Assists Metering Support  Engineers/Managers in various technical functions.

Responsibilities:

1. Inspects, adjusts, repairs, tests, verifies connections and constants; makes phase angle measurements and maintains the electric meters and metering systems, instruments, demand meters, instrument transformers and various accessories used primarily for installations measuring power interchange with other utilities, IPPs, Industrial & Commercial customers and Generating Stations.
2. Develops and maintains PPL specific TOU / RUG Meter programs, including holiday schedules, TOU rate periods, load control relay operation. Interacts directly with manufacturers and vendors to resolve problems associated with meter programming. Programs and maintains AMR and multi-function meters used on the PPL system.
3. Provides technical expertise to support new and ongoing changes/updates/modifications to the meter data acquisition software and hardware for the meter reading system that is used for revenue billing information for PPLs largest customers.
4. Maintains the Radian Research RS-703A standardization system, associated transfer standards and meter test boards.
5. Troubleshoots, repairs and maintains shop test equipment and associated computer
6. Maintains thorough knowledge of and follows applicable rules associated with the Company’s energy control process, safety rulebook, environmental regulations, OSHA regulations, practices safe work methods and uses required personal protective equipment. Holds permits for the safe performance of work.
7. Makes arrangement for testing with Owner Department and System Operators, coordinating work with local forces as necessary. Interacts with customers and manufacturers representatives as required.
8. Collects field data on PPL side of the meter for power quality investigations in substations and at customer sites. This work entails the recording of data and then providing technical input for data analysis and recommended solutions as required. Assists FS Engineers with investigations on the customer side of the meter as required.
9. Performs repairs and calibrations of field test equipment and maintains associated test procedures, calibration software and updates files for the instrument calibration consoles.
10. The following duty pertains to AMR Substation Communication Equipment (SCE). Commissions, maintains, troubleshoots and repairs the electronic components of the Automated Meter SCE. This includes but is not limited to, working cooperatively with AMR Operations to use software tools to perform substation configuration, equipment and outage prioritization, error code analysis (notification and exception logs for example), running set queries. Develops procedures and performs acceptance testing for SCE.  Maintains, troubleshoots and resolves remote communication equipment issues including using software applications to troubleshoot and resolve substation communication equipment issues including the utilization of software applications to evaluate conditions, diagnose problems and initiate corrective actions, including modem banks.  Advises and instructs Field Services employees in the maintenance and repair of the AMR substation physical/electrical components.
11. Provides technical input required to update and create new Meter Department Instructions (MDI’s) as assigned. The MDIs provide technical guidance to the Field Services field personnel.
12. Performs such other related duties as assigned or as necessary.

Qualifications:

1. Graduate of a 2-year Electronic Engineering Technology or Electrical Engineering Technology degree program from a school/program which has been accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency. PPL’s Engineering Aide Qualifying Exam will be used to screen internal candidates who do not meet the minimum entry degree requirements for the position.
2. Successful completion of each year of the company's "Training and Development Program for Meter Technicians".
3. Must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license.
4. Ability to obtain Permit and Tag (Energy Control Process) certification required to perform the job duties listed above.