Pros
Excellent place to learn if you are interested in the power business, especially in areas of power engineering and operations. TransAlta owns coal, gas, hydro and wind generation and has some of the leading experts in Alberta for each of these technologies. Many influential people in the power business today are ex-TransAlta employees and the company has a tremendous history in Alberta.
Cons
The company has been in lay-off mode since at least 2012, so people have been in constant fear of losing their jobs. This has killed morale and created a toxic environment where bad behaviors are rewarded. Be prepared to work long hours. Staff reduction has meant the people left have been doing the work of 2 and sometimes 3 people. Pay freezes and benefits reduction means people have been working more for less. A review of company financial statements will show the huge debt the company has. It really isn't manageable given current market conditions unless assets are sold or the government provides a bail out. The company has been fined by regulators in recent years for market manipulation. Processes have changed, but attitudes haven't. If you end up working here, make sure you take all the training related to market manipulation and protect yourself by documenting everything.