Research Analyst - Grid Edge

Job Description

We are looking for a Research Analyst to join the Grid Edge research team within Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables group. The Grid Edge team consists of leading analysts covering some of the most cutting-edge topics in the energy transition, including transportation and building electrification, microgrids, virtual power plants, and grid modernization. Our research and thought leadership inform the strategies of key players in the power sector and those looking to enter it, driving innovative business models and hastening the energy transition.

The Analyst will focus on virtual power plants (VPPs) and their participation in power markets. This involves tracking VPPs, including the technologies, partnerships, and business models behind them. It also involves detailed research into the utility programs and wholesale market programs where VPPs are monetized. The Analyst will establish and maintain relationships with VPP operators, DER providers, utility program managers, ISO/RTO stakeholders, and others, developing data-driven, actionable insights that advance the business models of those in the VPP value chain while informing investors in the space. It is essential that the Analyst have prior industry experience with DER aggregation, DER participation in wholesale power markets, or utility DER programs.

The Analyst is expected to conduct original research and deliver analysis to clients through written reports, client briefings, and occasional consulting projects. As a subject matter expert, the Analyst will be a public face of Wood Mackenzie and the Grid Edge team, providing thought leadership through editorials, conference presentations, and media interviews.

Responsibilities

• Be the team’s subject matter expert in virtual power plants and DER participation in power markets, including:
  • DER and demand response (DR) technologies and VPP platform.
  • The commercial landscape of companies in the VPP value chain
  • Utility DER and DR programs, including their drivers, rules, incentives, and participants
  • DER participation in power markets, including the market programs available, their participation rules, economics, and participation trends
• Track market and regulatory development in RTOs and ISOs relevant to DERs, such as participation model reform, prices and market sizes, and trends in DER participation
• Contribute two installments per year to Wood Mackenzie’s DER Playbook report series, providing in-depth data and strategies for monetizing DERs in individual power markets
• Maintain and update our database of VPP projects through desk research and developer and utility outreach  
• Publish an annual Virtual Power Plant Outlook, covering VPPs, the commercial landscape of providers, and market opportunities and challenges
• Track and forecast demand response capacity, contributing to our annual U.S. DER Outlook report and to Wood Mackenzie’s long-term power outlooks
• Establish and maintain relationships with key industry stakeholders, including VPP providers, DER developers, utilities, and grid operators, checking in regularly to gather project, commercial, and market developments
• Publish timely insights and editorials on technology, market, policy, and regulatory developments
• Contribute to our Grid Edge Quarterly Executive Briefing
• Provide direct feedback and guidance to Grid Edge clients upon request
• Occasionally support the Power & Renewables consulting team on grid edge-related engagements
• Present at Wood Mackenzie and external conferences, moderate panels, and host webinars
• Collaborate with other members of the Grid Edge team, as well as other Wood Mackenzie technology and power teams, on joint research projects and reports
• Assist with customer acquisition, retention, and relationship management
• Assist with internal data and model infrastructure development and management
• Travel infrequently, but as necessary, to clients and conferences

Qualifications

• 3-6 years of industry experience with at least one of the following:
  • Wholesale power market design, operations, trading, or regulatory affairs
  • DER aggregation, monetization, or business development
  • Utility DER programs
• Working knowledge of the VPP space, including the key players, technologies, and market opportunities
• Working knowledge of wholesale power markets, including capacity, energy, and ancillary service markets and their participation rules
• A bachelor’s degree, and preferably a master’s degree, in a social, physical, or environmental science
• A self-learner, capable of getting up to speed on technical, financial, and regulatory subjects
• Fluency with Excel and the ability to produce clear, well-do