Jesse Montano is the Senior Vice President of Infrastructure Development Services at ZGlobal Inc., with more than three decades of experience in the energy industry. He began his career in geothermal generation operations, where he spent 13 years commissioning and managing geothermal generating facilities in Southern California.
In 2001, Jesse joined the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) as a NERC-certified Transmission and Reliability System Operator, where he operated IID’s high-voltage electric system. He was instrumental in IID’s adoption of an Open Access Transmission Tariff and in the creation and implementation of its Open Access Same Time Information System (OASIS). Jesse also played a key role in the development and implementation of WesTTrans.net, the OASIS platform supporting 22 transmission providers across 14 states in the western United States, and served as Chair of the WesTTrans Technical Committee.
During his tenure at IID, Jesse administered short- and long-term transmission capacity purchases, sales, and interchange transactions with utility marketers, brokers, and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). He established and managed IID’s generator interconnection process and oversaw interconnection studies, interconnection design, and the successful interconnection of generation facilities to the IID electric grid. Jesse later managed IID’s Business Development section, where he supervised the development and negotiation of multiple Power Purchase Agreements.
In addition, Jesse performed and evaluated alternative transmission rate design methodologies, including flat energy charges, time-of-use energy charges, 12-CP demand charges, and alternative treatment of “through and out” wheeling charges. He developed compromise straw proposals to mitigate cost shifts through regional differentiation of postage-stamp access charges and transition mechanisms, assisted legal counsel in revising transmission tariff language, and supported tariff implementation efforts for IID and other public power entities. Jesse also provided testimony on behalf of IID to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) related to the 500 kV Sunrise Powerlink project.
Since joining ZGlobal in 2010, Jesse has led the Infrastructure Development Services team in the development, synchronization, and execution of more than 50 transmission, distribution, and generation projects. Under his leadership, ZGlobal’s infrastructure development business has successfully developed, permitted, designed, and overseen more than 13,400 MW of renewable energy projects.
Recent Accomplishments
Performed and managed all project permitting, interconnection, design, project, and construction management. Managed project costs and contractors. Interface with local utilities and county/cities for the following operating and under-construction projects:
- Holtville Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – 30 MW
- El Centro Energy Storage – 30 MW
- Solar Gen 2 Solar – 3 × 50 MW
- Seville Solar – 75 MW
- Colgreen Solar – 75 MW
- Titan 1 Solar – 70 MW
- T Solar – 30 MW
- Ocotillo Wind – 300 MW
- Viking Peaker – 225 MW solar / 150 MW energy storage
- Hudson Ranch Geothermal Project – 50 MW
- CTR Geothermal Project – 225 MW
- Approximately 20 miles of 230 kV transmission line
- Approximately 55 miles of 92 kV transmission line
- Approximately 30 miles of 230 kV transmission line
- Multiple substations and switching stations ranging from 230 kV, 161 kV, 92 kV, and 34.5 kV
- Thirteen distributed generation projects
- Provided testimony on behalf of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding the 500 kV Sunrise Powerlink project
Education
Jesse studied Public Accounting at the Universidad de Sonora in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.