Regulatory Director - California

ABOUT VOTE SOLAR

Vote Solar advocates for a transition to a just and equitable 100% clean energy system that puts the interests, health and well-being of people at its center. Founded in 2002, Vote Solar advocates for clean energy and energy justice in legislative and regulatory arenas at the state level, where most decisions about electricity are made. Operating in over 20 states, we focus on bringing deep policy expertise, working in just partnership with broad coalitions, and engaging the public to win on solar and energy justice campaigns.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE

Vote Solar is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the workplace and in the communities with which we partner. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, including multilingual and multicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

THE ROLE

Vote Solar seeks a candidate committed to help advance sustainable, equitable solutions to the challenges facing solar and solar + storage expansion as California moves toward a 100% carbon-free electricity system. The California Regulatory Director position will require both strategic thought leadership in advocating for technical solutions before state regulatory bodies, and collaborative coalition building and management in getting those solutions implemented. This person will work closely with the Vote Solar West Regional Team, including communications and grassroots organizing experts to advance concrete goals in regulatory and legislative venues. The ideal candidate is a results-oriented person who excels at building relationships and managing complicated projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The California Regulatory Director’s primary responsibilities will include:

REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY (50%)

• Intervene in regulatory proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission and other public agencies to develop solar-friendly policies.
• Prepare expert testimony, frame discovery for utility and other witnesses, and advocate for Vote Solar’s positions in cross-examination—all in pursuit of regulatory outcomes that provide fair compensation for solar and technologies that help grow solar markets.
• Pursue innovative regulatory policies that address historical racial, economic and structural inequities and remove barriers to solar adoption by residential and business customers.
  • This includes policies that encourage utilities, system operators and regulators to incorporate solar (distributed and wholesale) into their planning and operations.
• Advise on state-level legislation that can open up new opportunities for solar and storage markets in California.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP (20%)

• Provide thought leadership in designing new regulatory paradigms that prioritize renewables, climate justice and maximizing participation in (and benefit from) distributed energy resources.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT (20%)

• Build and collaborate with coalitions of stakeholders – including, for example, frontline communities, environmental justice advocates, consumer advocates, energy efficiency proponents, energy storage providers, electric vehicle advocates, etc. – to develop and pursue win-win strategies.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE GROWTH AND LEARNING (10%)

• Continue personal learning and contributions to organizational work on diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Be committed to embedding equity in all organizational internal practices and culture.
• Bring openness and engagement to personal, professional, and organization-wide learning on race, class, gender, justice, and equity.

LOCATION

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Vote Solar staff have been working from home and have ceased work travel. When it is safe to do so, this position will require travel approximately 1x month to the SF Bay Area and some national travel. Candidates based on the West Coast are preferred, but the role is open to anyone who can meet this travel requirement.

Requirements

WHAT YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. A relevant graduate degree is an advantage, but is not required.
• Five+ years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to execute on key strategies to achieve our mission, including coalition building and policy writing that summarizes complex issues for the interested public.

OTHER EXPERTISE YOU MIGHT HAVE OR WOULD BE EXCITED TO GAIN HERE

• Expertise in technical and regulatory needs for scaling up clean microgrids/onsite clean energy + storage systems for resilience, including a focus on serving disadvantaged and other vulnerable communities.
• Experience in regulatory innovations to allow behind-the-meter solar + storage and other distributed energy resources to receive fair value in California’s resource adequacy markets.
• Integrated Resource Planning and procurement necessary to achieve California’s GHG goals and provide for the most cost-effective portfolio of utility-scale solar, storage, and other renewable resources.
• Transmission planning for renewables, for example to 1) facilitate the growth of large-scale hybrid clean energy and storage projects to provide energy and resource adequacy, 2) deploy distributed energy resources at scale to reduce the need for transmission investments and promote beneficial electrification.

MINDSETS

• A personal commitment to being a part of an inclusive and just workplace, including a commitment to being on a journey with Vote Solar to develop personal, and inter-personal core competencies related to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
• Passion for building strong new capacity at a growing organization.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Benefits

The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $135,000. Vote Solar provides full-time staff with a competitive package, including 3 weeks of paid vacation in year one and 4 weeks starting in year two, 12 days of sick leave and 4 days of personal leave. We also offer 100% employer-provided health, dental and vision care for both the employee and dependents; a retirement savings plan and an employer match of up to 3.5%; and a paid parental and medical leave policy for full-time staff who have worked for Vote Solar for at least one year.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send a letter of interest and resume here. We will begin reviewing applications on July 30, but will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis after that date. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.