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Family, data and power generation: A conversation with CPS Energy’s Melanie Green

Melanie Green is currently Sr. Director of Power Generation at CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas.
Family, data and power generation: A conversation with CPS Energy’s Melanie Green
Melanie Green (Courtesy: CPS Energy).

Growing up in Missouri, Melanie Green became acquainted with the power sector at a young age. Her father owned and operated an auto repair shop which specialized in transmission repair. Her grandfather was an engineer in the generation field, having graduated from Purdue University in 1925.

“I was able to see ‘grandpa’s power plant’ and worked in the garage for years,” she recalled. “I was fascinated by it all. It just resonated with me. How cool that I could overhaul a transmission or pull an engine and rebuild it.”

Green went on to study mechanical engineering and graduated from the University of Missouri. From there she went to work in the power sector, her first job being the construction of a coal-fired power plant.

“The company I worked for had never had a woman engineer in the field, so it was a new experience for them,” she said in an interview in connection with International Day of Women and Girls in Science Day (#WomenInScience).

“I guess I just never saw it as a problem, and it wasn’t,” she added. “It was ‘interesting’ to most just because it was different, but I think I was just so open to learning that it really didn’t matter.”

That curiosity and openness has led her through “so many wonderful experiences” in a career spanning more than 40 years. She has held various positions in construction, engineering, operations and maintenance of power plants in Texas, Alaska, and Missouri.

Green joined CPS Energy – the utility serving San Antonio, Texas – in 2003 as O&M Engineer. She became Manager of Projects in Engineering & Technical Services in 2005.

In 2011 she was tasked with integration of a new generating plant into the CPS fleet and then served as Director, Strategic Planning and Analysis and Senior Director, Engineering & Technical Services.

Source: CPS Energy.

Green now serves as Senior Director of Power Generation for the utility. Around 23% of the utility’s generation capacity is coal, 30% natural gas, 29% nuclear, and 14% renewables through power purchase agreements (PPAs). The balance is made up of a mix of PPAs.

“Being able to start in a construction role enabled me to see a plant literally from the ground up,” she told Power Engineering. “I built upon that with roles that included chemistry, environmental, operations, and maintenance, project engineering, and moved into leadership.”

She said each role allowed her to build her skill set and gain a deeper understanding of the business. Her current job focuses on data analytics.

“We currently can capture operational data like never before,” she noted. “The art is understanding how to view and interpret the data.”

Green says that data enables CPS Energy to build models to analyze and measure performance of plant equipment. Her role has included building graphics to emulate plant processes, using this to help observe changes over time that would indicate declining plant performance. She has built models to evaluate how the utility’s fleet responds to grid events.

“I am able to provide subject matter expertise in all areas of our operation, recently providing an evaluation of the operational impacts of several different coals based on their chemical analyses,” she said.

In a historically male-dominated field, Green still often looks around and realizes she’s the only woman in the room but says she’s proud of the fact she’s there for her knowledge and experience. She adds that while there may not be a lot of female engineers in the power sector, there are other skilled technical roles generally well-represented by women.

“Everyone brings a unique perspective to a role,” said Green. “The strongest teams are comprised of groups of diverse individuals who bring great logical skills, sensory abilities, organizational skills, and leadership. The broader the make-up, the more value that can be derived.”

At this point in her career, she takes pleasure in providing tours to elementary and high school students, aiming to educate them about the many career opportunities available in the power sector. She adds that so many young people don’t consider the generation industry simply because they’re not aware of it.

“The challenge is ensuring that all children are encouraged to develop a curiosity about everything, how things work, and why,” she said. “Getting a chance to show them what happens behind the switch on the wall is exciting.”

She added: “I believe that finding your niche, finding what keeps you engaged is a key element no matter what career you choose.”

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