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Summary

Experience

Senior Substation EngineerCenterPoint Energy
Houston, TXSep 2021Present
  • Led design and engineering for 5+ major substation projects (138kV to 345kV), contributing to a 15% increase in grid capacity and reliability within the service area.
  • Managed protection and control scheme development, reducing fault clearance times by an average of 20% across upgraded substations, enhancing system stability.
  • Coordinated with project managers, procurement, and construction teams to ensure on-time and on-budget project delivery, overseeing over $50M in infrastructure investments annually.
  • Developed and implemented advanced SCADA integration solutions, improving remote monitoring capabilities and reducing field visits by 25% for routine operations.
  • Mentored junior engineers on best practices in substation design, NERC compliance, and power system analysis, fostering team growth and technical excellence.
Substation EngineerBurns & McDonnell
Kansas City, MOJun 2018Aug 2021
  • Designed physical layouts, grounding systems, and lightning protection for 10+ new and upgraded substations ranging from 69kV to 230kV, ensuring compliance with IEEE and NERC standards.
  • Performed detailed power system studies including short-circuit, load flow, and arc flash analysis using ETAP and PSS/E, optimizing equipment sizing and protection settings.
  • Developed comprehensive bid packages, technical specifications, and construction drawings that resulted in successful contract awards for projects totaling over $30M.
  • Collaborated with clients and multidisciplinary teams to resolve complex technical challenges, leading to a 10% reduction in change orders during project execution phases.
  • Assisted in the commissioning and testing of substation equipment, ensuring proper functionality and integration of protection relays and control systems.

Projects

345kV Substation Expansion for Industrial Load
Mar 2022Nov 2023
  • Managed the complete engineering design for a new 345kV substation bay, facilitating a 500MW industrial load connection and supporting regional economic growth.
  • Implemented innovative insulation coordination techniques, reducing potential equipment failures by 10% and enhancing system resilience.
  • Successfully navigated complex permitting and environmental regulations, ensuring project completion 3 months ahead of schedule.
Renewable Energy Interconnection Substation (200MW Solar)
Jan 2020Jul 2021
  • Led the design and integration of a new 138kV substation for a 200MW solar photovoltaic plant, ensuring stable and reliable energy injection into the grid.
  • Developed custom protection schemes to mitigate harmonic distortions and transient overvoltages, achieving a 99.8% plant availability rate.
  • Collaborated with project developers and utility representatives to ensure adherence to interconnection agreements and NERC compliance requirements.
Substation Automation System Upgrade Pilot
Mar 2019Dec 2019
  • Designed and implemented an IEC 61850-compliant substation automation system for a pilot 69kV substation, improving operational efficiency and data exchange.
  • Integrated new intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) with existing SCADA infrastructure, enhancing remote control capabilities and reducing response times by 15%.
  • Conducted extensive testing and validation, ensuring seamless transition and minimal operational disruption during the upgrade.

Education

Texas A&M UniversityBachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
College Station, TXSep 2014May 2018
  • Graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors, GPA: 3.8/4.0
  • Recipient of the Dean's List award for multiple semesters
  • Completed capstone project on renewable energy grid integration

Publications

Impact of Distributed Energy Resources on Substation Protection Schemes
Sep 2021L. Murphy, D. Chen
Optimizing Substation Grounding Grids for Enhanced Safety and Performance in Urban Environments
Apr 2020L. Murphy
Application of IEC 61850 in Modern Substation Automation Systems: A Case Study
Jul 2019L. Murphy, J. Lee

Skills

Substation Design & Engineering
AutoCAD ElectricalMicroStationPLS-CADDGrounding DesignEquipment SpecificationPhysical Layout
Power Systems Analysis
ETAPPSCADPSS/ELoad Flow AnalysisShort Circuit AnalysisArc Flash Studies
Protection & Control
SEL RelaysGE MultilinSiemens SIPROTECIEC 61850SCADA SystemsRTU Configuration
Regulatory & Standards
NERC CIPIEEE C37ANSI StandardsNECOSHA SafetyProject Management
Software & Programming
PythonMATLABMicrosoft Office SuiteSQLData AnalysisPrimavera P6