Senior Advocate, Southwest Power Pool

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.  

  

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).  

  

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org 

 

POSITION SUMMARY  

The Senior Advocate – Southwest Power Pool will lead the advocacy of NRDC’s Sustainable FERC Project (Project) at the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). This person will be responsible for advancing reforms in transmission planning, resource adequacy, and wholesale markets to expand clean energy deployment and maximize the reliability and affordability of energy in the SPP region.    

  

This role requires experience with technical regulatory matters relating to transmission systems and/or energy markets, the ability to collaborate in a team setting with internal and external partners, interest in cultivating relationships with SPP staff, state regulators and other stakeholders, and willingness to travel to SPP’s offices in Arkansas and Colorado, and elsewhere.   

 

This is a limited term 2 year position based out of any of NRDC's U.S. based offices (New York, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Monica).

 

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).   

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:  

• Conceive and advocate for the changes to SPP’s regional and interregional transmission, resource adequacy, wholesale markets, and interconnection rules and plans necessary to advance the Project’s and NRDC’s clean energy transition goals.  Work to persuade key stakeholders and decision-makers to adopt NRDC’s preferred grid policies.  
• Develop and implement SPP stakeholder-focused strategies necessary to advance goals and outcomes.    
• Periodically reassess existing desired outcomes and identify new outcomes and strategies to achieve NRDC’s goals on complex grid issues.   
• Represent the Project coalition and NRDC at SPP and in other forums. This advocacy includes participating in stakeholder meetings and conferences, including making verbal comments, drafting stakeholder and FERC comments, and other activities necessary to accomplish the Project’s advocacy goals.   
• Collaborate with a coalition of partners – including coordination leading regular meetings/calls, tracking of SPP issues, and organizing periodic strategic planning, as well as working to build agreement within the coalition on complex problems.     
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, especially SPP staff, state government officials, consumer advocates, and industry partners.   
• Coordinate with the Project’s staff and with other teams at NRDC to develop complementary solutions and to align goals, strategies, and messages.     
• Monitor relevant developments in other regional transmission organizations.   
• Manage expert consultants as necessary to advance the Project’s advocacy objectives.    
• Communicate the Project’s message to a wider audience, including media and state and federal policymakers, in a manner that trans