Ben Edwards joined Citizens Energy Group on January 3 as a utility shift operator at our Thermal utility. In this position, Ben ensures safe and reliable operation of Perry K's water plant, turbine generators, and auxiliary equipment.
What attracted you to Citizens?
I heard great things about Citizens, like it is a great place to work, to grow, and to retire. Being the head of my household, knowing that my job will take care of me brings me stability.
What is a typical day like for you?
The first thing I do when I start my shift is verify what equipment is running. Second, I speak with the operator I am relieving. At that time, I am informed on the things that happened during their shift. I turn my attention to the distributed control system (which controls the boilers). I record gauge readings, which boilers are online, temperatures of the river, softeners, and other essential data. Next, I walk around the plant checking every piece of equipment to make sure it is safe to operate. After that, I take water samples every four hours from our softeners to ensure the alkalinity and hardness of the water is in the right range. In addition, I check and record data on our steam-driven turbine generator every three hours. At the end of my shift, I wait for my relief operator and inform them of things that happened during my shift. 
What do you appreciate about working at Citizens?
I appreciate that Citizens is always willing to train individuals who are eager to learn. I took an opportunity to go through a boiler training class sponsored by Ivy Tech. At the end of the five-day instruction, I received a boiler completion certificate.
What do you enjoy about your job?
One thing I enjoy about my job is that I learn something new each day I work at Perry K.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I spend most of my time fishing and helping with the children’s ministry at Turning Point Family Worship Center. Working eight days and having six days off gives me a lot of time to do both.
To learn more about Citizens’ Perry K operations, take our virtual tour.
