Allen Skinner

Senior Systems Operator at BHE Montana (2025-03 – Present)

• Balancing Authority systems operator for Glacier Wind Authority (GWA) balancing authority for BHE Montana located in Great Falls Montana.
• Operated two balancing authorities simultaneously prior to balancing authority area consolidation. Operated GWA and Wind Watch Authority (WWA) balancing authorities at the same time prior to the consolidation of both balancing authorities on October 1st 2025.
• Trained and operate as a member within Western Power Pool (WPP) reserve sharing group and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)
• Trained in CAISO EIM market during the introduction of GWA balancing authority into CAISO EIM market in February 2026.
• Ensure proper operation of renewable wind farm generation assets Glacier Wind 1, Glacier Wind 2, and Rimrock totaling 394MW of wind generation between all three wind farms and 75MW Tesla battery pack within GWA.
• Work directly with Northwestern Montana (NWMT) and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to ensure proper transmission and voltage control on transmission systems inside of and surrounding GWA.
• Work directly with marketers at ABEX to ensure proper scheduled interchange for GWA.
• Provide simultaneous oversight over Grant County PUD and Douglas County PUD to ensure proper operations of the balancing authorities and work directly with Morgan Stanley to ensure proper tagging and scheduled interchange for both balancing authorities using OATI.
• Alberta Electric Systems Operator (AESO) dispatcher for Rattlesnake Ridge Wind farm 125MW and NAT1 natural gas peaker 20MW generating assets ensuring proper dispatch, operation, voltage control, and restatement of units in response to AESO dispatches and Alberta ISO directives.
• Provide transmission reservation and tagging services using OATI for Horseshoe bend wind farm 6MW located outside of Great Falls Montana.
• Knowledgeable in OATI transmission reservation, tagging, and WITT checkouts for finding interchange values, Energy Management System software through General Electric, SCADA applications, ADAMS and ETS applications for AESO market, switching, generator operations, requesting WPP operating reserves, voltage control through generating assets, and effective balancing authority operations.

Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing – University of Arizona (2025-12-19)

Bachelor of Science in Finance – Western Governors University