Generation Operations interview prep.

Control-room + plant operators, shift supervisors, performance + reliability engineers, plant managers across CCGT / coal / nuclear / wind / solar / BESS / hybrid sites.

What interviewers look for

  • Can the candidate run a unit safely + reliably under commercial-dispatch pressure - not just operate the asset but earn revenue?
  • Are they fluent in NERC GO + GOP standards - generator owner + operator obligations, BAL / TOP / FAC / PRC / MOD / CIP exposure?
  • Do they understand market bidding + dispatch - DAM offers, RTM commitment, LMP, ancillary services, must-run vs economic?
  • Can they manage heat rate + EFOR + commercial availability - read the performance curves + drive the levers that move them?
  • Are they OEM-disciplined - LTSA, factored hours, borescope cadence, hot-gas-path + major-inspection planning?
  • Do they navigate environmental + permit compliance - Title V, CSAPR / CAIR, MATS, GHG, water discharge?
  • Long-game fit - operator / shift supervisor / operations manager / plant manager trajectory?

Behavioural questions to expect

  1. Walk me through your background + generation operations experience.

    What it tests: Story arc - training + plant-floor career + commercial-dispatch + reliability exposure. Want to see plant-side fluency, not generic power-systems theory.

  2. Tell me about a plant operations role or event you've handled.

    What it tests: Plant-floor judgement + reliability + commercial awareness under pressure. Looking for someone who thinks like an operator AND a revenue-aware steward.

  3. Why generation operations vs grid ops, planning, or OEM service?

    What it tests: Authentic alignment - plant-floor discipline, commercial-dispatch awareness, asset-stewardship mindset, shift-work fit.

  4. Why this kind of generation fleet - CCGT / coal / nuclear / renewable / hybrid / merchant vs regulated?

    What it tests: Specificity. CCGT board ops differs materially from nuclear ops or renewable + BESS ops. Generic answers fail.

  5. Why this firm?

    What it tests: Real homework - fleet, recent operational events, commercial posture, OEM relationships - not name-drop.

  6. What's your read on our fleet + recent operational events?

    What it tests: Industry literacy - technology mix, ISO markets, recent forced outages or derates, commercial availability trend.

  7. Tell me what you understand about our NERC compliance + OEM service posture.

    What it tests: Reliability + compliance + OEM fluency on this firm's actual registered functions + OEM relationships.

  8. Walk me through a forced outage or major derate you handled.

    What it tests: Plant-floor reliability + commercial fluency - protect the unit, restore safely, minimise EFOR + revenue impact.

Technical concepts to master

CCGT + thermal plant operations

GT + HRSG + ST combined cycle
Gas turbine exhausts to HRSG (heat recovery steam generator) which produces steam to drive a steam turbine - 1x1 or 2x1 configurations common.
Start types + ramp profiles
Cold start (>48 hr offline), warm start (8-48 hr), hot start (<8 hr) - each with different ramp profile + stress.
GT operating limits + IGV + DLN
Inlet Guide Vanes manage airflow; DLN (Dry Low NOx) combustor zones manage NOx vs combustion stability.
HRSG operations + water chemistry
HRSG steam quality + tube integrity depend on rigorous water chemistry - cycle chemistry programme is critical.

Market dispatch + ancillary services

Day-ahead market (DAM) + RTM
DAM clears next-day hourly schedule on offers + bids; RTM (Real-Time Market) clears 5-min dispatch to balance system.
Offer construction
Energy offer curve + start-up cost + no-load cost + minimum run time + ramp rate - submitted via market-participant portal.
Ancillary services - regulation + spin + non-spin
Regulation (RegA / RegD) follows AGC signal; spinning reserve responds in 10 min; non-spin in 30 min.
Capacity market
Forward-cleared capacity auction (e.g. RPM, FCM, ICAP) pays generators for unforced capacity availability.

OEM LTSA + factored hours + major inspections

LTSA (Long-Term Service Agreement)
Multi-year OEM service contract - covers scheduled inspections + parts + performance guarantees + sometimes availability.
Factored hours + factored starts
OEM-weighted operating hours + starts - cycling + trips + peaking add equivalent hours that drive inspection timing.
Inspection cadence - CI / HGPI / MI
Combustion Inspection (CI) ~8K factored hours; Hot Gas Path Inspection (HGPI) ~24K; Major Inspection (MI) ~48K - OEM-specific.
Parts pool + lead time
Hot-gas-path parts require long lead times + capital expense - parts pool management critical for outage scheduling.

Renewable + BESS operations

Wind plant operations
Wind turbine availability + capacity factor + curtailment management - SCADA-based fleet operations.
Solar PV plant operations
Inverter + tracker availability + soiling + degradation - SCADA + drone + IR inspection programmes.
BESS (Battery Energy Storage System)
Lithium-ion battery + inverter + thermal management - operates in energy arbitrage + ancillary services + capacity roles.
Curtailment + economic dispatch
Renewable output curtailed by grid (TLR), economic (negative LMP), or contractual (PPA cap) reasons.

Practical drills

  • Your 1x1 CCGT (270 MW base) trips offline at 14:00 on a peak summer day. Vibration on the GT shaft spiked to 8 mils prior to trip; HRSG drums are still hot. ISO has you dispatched at full load. Walk through your next 60 minutes.
  • Day-ahead spark spread tomorrow is forecast at $4/MWh for peak hours, $-2/MWh off-peak. Your CCGT has a 7,000 Btu/kWh HHV heat rate, $35 cold-start cost equivalent ($/MWh), minimum-run of 6 hours, and 100 MW minimum load. Walk through your offer + commitment decision.
  • Day 8 of a planned 21-day HGPI on a major-OEM F-class GT. Borescope finds two Row 1 blades with cracking near the platform; OEM is reviewing repair vs replacement. Replacement adds 7-10 days + $4M; repair adds 3-4 days + $400K but only good for one inspection cycle. Walk through your decision.

Smart-question anchors

  • Fleet mix + ISO markets - technology mix, nameplate MW, ISO / RTO footprint, merchant vs PPA share
  • Reliability + commercial availability - EAF, EFOR, capacity factor, recent forced-outage events
  • OEM relationships + LTSA - OEM platforms, LTSA status, upcoming major inspections
  • NERC GO + GOP posture - audit findings, CIP maturity, BAL / PRC / MOD performance
  • Market posture - DAM clearing, RTM exposure, capacity + ancillary services revenue mix

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