This position provides environmental compliance and land rights services for the Cooperative including leases, easements, renewals, permits and licenses. The role of this position is to assist in obtaining required local, state and federal environmental and land use approvals for new/existing transmission line, substation, generation, and telecommunications projects for Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (AEPCO).  In addition, the position: 1) participates in oil spill response efforts at AEPCO substations; 2) develops and implements environmental plans and procedures applicable to AEPCO operations, including spill monitoring for construction activities, and monitoring in accordance with provisions of the Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act.  This position is based at AEPCO’s corporate headquarters in Benson, Arizona.

• Conduct NEPA analysis and compliance activities for capital projects and direct NEPA document preparation
• Participate in oil spill response activities as needed
• Conduct project-related compliance training for AEPCO personnel
• Obtain Arizona Corporation Commission, and other state and local project approvals
• Cultivate and maintain federal, state and local agency relationships
• Review and maintain Transmission Asset Management Information System (TAMIS) for accuracy of environmental data
• Conduct periodic substation housekeeping activities (to assist with hanta virus prevention)
• Manage weed control contract associated with Cooperative substation and communications sites. This includes direct supervision of contractors.
• Coordinate with Arizona State Land Department, Bureau of Land Management and Federal land departments to acquire land rights by deed, lease, easement or any other land rights including renewals, permits and licenses.
• Contract for and direct land services, surveying, title work, appraisals, fencing and landscaping installation.
• Assist in the capital and maintenance planning processes by providing land information.
• Assist with City/County approvals for grading and zoning permits and assist with obtaining building, railway and road right of way permits.
• Assist with coordination for public outreach efforts associated with project proposals
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, environmental planning, environmental engineering, civil engineering, natural resources management, land management or related fields.
• Up to 2 years’ experience in the utility industry, including knowledge of transmission and/or distribution operations preferred.
• Up to 2 years of experience in one or more of the following areas: land law, real estate practices, city/county/ zoning, land permitting or tax assessor procedures.
• Experience working for a Utility owner’s land services group, State land department and/or Federal land group is a plus.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Limited knowledge of federal, state and local environmental laws that apply to electric transmission operations, including:
  • National Environmental Policy Act
  • Endangered Species Act
  • National Historic Preservation Act
  • Clean Water Act
  • Toxic Substances Control Act
  • Native Plant Protection Act
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• Understand Land appraisal, land surveys and real estate acquisition.
• Good interpersonal skills, comfortable approaching and communicating with people, landowners, government agencies and knowledge of negotiation strategy.
• Ability to work effectively with federal, state and local regulatory agency personnel
• Strong conceptual, organizational, problem solving and research abilities
• Ability to be certified in respirator use
• Required to become 40-hour HAZWOPER certified within 30-days of hire date.
• Limited knowledge of Rural Utilities Service environmental requirements preferred
• Any equivalent combination of related education, training, and/or experience can be substituted for requirements listed above.

About Arizona G&T Cooperatives

We are Member-owned, not-for-profit electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives. Working together, our employees fulfill the joint mission of providing reliable, affordable power to electric coops across the Southwest. Arizona G&T Cooperatives provide power to more than 160,000 electric meters and 400,000 people in Arizona, California and New Mexico through six Class A Member distribution cooperatives. One of 63 G&T electric coops in the nation, we own and operate Apache Generating Station near Cochise, east of Benson. The plant has a combined gross generating capacity of 605 megawatts. We also purchase power to meet member energy needs during peak summer energy use. Our transmission system operates and maintains more than 622 miles of electric power transmission line and 27 substations reaching out from our Apache Generating Station, across Arizona to the northwestern corner of the state. We also operate more than 30 telecommunications towers used for phone and data relay services by our member cooperatives and customers.

Connections working at Arizona G&T Cooperatives