Role

The Policy Lead (at equivalent of analyst, associate, or manager, depending upon seniority) will have two core responsibilities.

The first key role is following and summarizing federal, state and regional policies which impact our operating renewable energy business and shape our growth prospects.  This includes legislation specific to renewable energy, but also climate and energy more broadly, as well as enabling policies and regulation.  Depending on legislative activity, the role may expand to include broader policy work on ISO market participation, FERC guidance and other agency processes.  The role will initially focus on hydropower, but may expand with ECRE’s diversification into other technologies.  The Lead will work closely with the National Hydropower Association (NHA) and other hydropower asset owners to develop legislative priorities and strategies.  For the highest priority legislation, this scope of work will include active advocacy, including reaching out to our elected officials and their staff to explain our position and potentially working with external consultants and lobbyists.   Working with the Vice President of Business Development and Asset Management and other members of the ECRE executive team, the Policy Lead will play a strong role in determining which policies and specific pieces of legislation are most deserving of focus. 

The second is leading ECRE’s applications for federal incentives under the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, namely the 242, 243 and 247 grants which respectively support incremental hydropower generation, investments in hydropower efficiency, and investments in certain capital improvements for dam safety, environmental impact and grid resilience.  Leading the federal application process requires strong organizational skills, professional writing capabilities and the ability to gather information from across the organization. 

This role sits within the Business Development and Asset Management team, whose overall goal is to increase the value of Eagle Creek’s existing fleet of operating hydropower facilities and to lead expansion of the company through acquisition of additional hydropower plants and other renewable energy capacity.   The role requires a commercial perspective as well as an understanding of policy-making, and the ability to clearly translate between the two. 

The role is expected to be based in ECRE’s office outside Washington D.C. in Bethesda, MD.  ECRE currently works on a hybrid work schedule.

Illustrative Responsibilities

• Provide routine (likely quarterly) policy summaries to executive leadership team to capture relevant activity, as well as ad-hoc deep-dive presentations on key policies
• Attend regular meetings of the NHA Legislative Committee and various state organizations and coalitions (ACE-NY, etc.) to follow policy developments, as well as webinars and other events to capture take-away points
• As part of the Business Development team’s assessment of an acquisition opportunity in a new state, providing a summary (typically in the form of 1-2 power point slides, but potentially a written memo) of current state renewable energy targets, how progress is trending, and how the policy environment can be expected to impact the commercial value of the acquisition
• On an annual basis, lay out the work plan to complete Infrastructure and Jobs Bill grant applications for all potentially eligible projects and work with the project leads to complete the application accurately and on-time

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in any relevant field
• Excellent professional writing skills
• Previous background and strong interest in clean energy policy (can be academic, although professional preferred)
• Ability to distill complex issues into key messages for presentation to senior management
• Strong time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail
• Critical thinking skills with the ability to identify and solve complex problems
• Ability to use discretion in handling confidential information
• The highest ethical standards in representing Eagle Creek in the public sphere

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous work experience in federal or state policy, either on the legislative side or for an advocacy organization
• Previous professional work experience in clean energy
• Knowledge of the Investment Tax Credit and other key clean energy legislation
• Exposure and understanding to the broader challenges faced by new renewable energy, such as solar panel tariffs, interconnection queue issues, siting concerns, property tax negotiations, etc.  

About Eagle Creek Renewable Energy

Eagle Creek Renewable Energy was founded in 2010 to acquire, enhance and operate small hydroelectric power facilities. Eagle Creeks’ facilities provide clean energy to electricity consumers in North America while allowing recreational opportunities and protecting historical resources and the environment. Eagle Creek currently owns and operates eighty-six hydroelectric facilities representing approximately 640 megawatts of capacity across the United States. Eagle Creek also has ownership interests equivalent to approximately 12 megawatts in fourteen other hydroelectric facilities and two solar facilities in New England.

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