The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) seeks an engineer with extensive experience related to the integration of distributed energy resources, such as solar photovoltaics, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle supply equipment, to help U.S. states and territories regulate their utilities to rapidly and equitably decarbonize the grid. The successful candidate will work with engineers, policy professionals, and attorneys to develop and execute a multi-state strategy that advances a 100% clean energy future.
IREC team members collaborate primarily in the virtual environment, leveraging remote meeting, project management, and other collaboration tools to stay connected and coordinated. The team balances one-on-one check-ins, regular online meetings, and independent work to support one another’s success.
Responsibilities
- Inform technical and policy matters regarding flexible approaches to interconnection and energization of distributed energy resources (DER), including solar photovoltaics, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle supply equipment.
- Inform technical and policy matters regarding hosting capacity analysis (HCA), smart inverter integration, utility technical interconnection requirements (TIR), and other DER interconnection and load energization related topics.
- Evaluate utility approaches to flexible interconnection, HCA, smart inverters, and TIR to determine their effectiveness at enabling the rapid and equitable deployment of DERs.
- Provide engineering strategy recommendations for IREC’s regulatory engagement in DER interconnection, grid modernization, load energization, and other relevant proceedings in jurisdictions across the United States.
- Participate in regulatory meetings, workshops, phone calls, and other forums to represent IREC’s mission and vision.
- Research emerging methodologies and approaches for flexible interconnection to identify best practices.
- Collaborate with utility staff, regulators, industry representatives, and other parties to identify consensus-based solutions.
- Provide recommendations and solutions to specific inquiries that arise in workshops, technical conferences, and regulatory proceedings.
- Draft and review regulatory comments and testimony to ensure alignment with IREC’s engineering strategy and the standard design, operation, and technical regulation of DERs.
- Maintain effective communication with IREC’s team of attorneys, engineers, and policy experts to support program strategy and priorities.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with various external parties, including public utility commission staff, utility engineers, distributed energy resources companies, environmental and consumer advocates, and technical standards and research organizations.
- Support the development of key Regulatory Program reports, publications, and other public tools.
- Support IREC’s communications efforts to convey relevant and timely information regarding regulatory issues and proceedings to identified target audiences.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Qualities for This Role:
The successful candidate will bring the following qualifications, skills, and experience to our organization:
Required
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in electrical engineering preferred; related fields of study and/or experience, such as mechanical engineers with power system and electrical engineering experience will be considered
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience
- Strong understanding and knowledge of distribution and transmission engineering, electricity markets, regulations, and key policies impacting distributed energy resource markets, including interconnection standards, energy storage, grid modernization, grid integration, and other relevant regulatory issues
- Strong research and analytic skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to communicate clearly with regulatory and policy audiences
- Ability to work independently and with diverse teams
- Self-directed, organized, and motivated
- Proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Preferred
- Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in engineering or related field
- Experience working with or for utilities in a distribution engineering role
- Experience with the interconnection of distributed energy resources to distribution systems
- Knowledge of relevant standards, such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741
IREC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and embracing a workplace with diverse voices and perspectives. We strongly encourage and seek applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. Applicants are not discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, medical conditions, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.