Postdoctoral Appointee – Energy Economist

The Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis (ESIA) division addresses energy security and environmental sustainability by analyzing the benefits and challenges of efficient energy technologies and making U.S. energy systems more sustainable and resilient. We develop and use analytic tools to help the U.S. achieve these goals. We also develop, deploy, and advance grid technologies that ensure a robust and secure U.S. grid transmission and distribution system. We collaborate with government agencies as well as companies to help move the nation toward an economy based on affordable and sustainable energy, including solar, wind, and hydropower energy.

The successful postdoctoral candidate will join a team of Argonne researchers and work closely with federal agencies and other national laboratories. The successful candidate will support financial, economic, and environmental analyses of power systems with a particular focus on hydropower system. The successful candidate will develop and apply methodologies and tools for financial, economic, and environmental analyses of hydropower systems. The position will involve the development and use of computer models, simulations, algorithms, databases, economic models, and financial models. The position will include the analysis of hydropower operations and expansion, optimization and equilibrium, market penetration, and interdependencies. The position will specifically focus on the economic and financial impacts of experimental water flows and environmental regulations on hydropower plants. This description documents the general nature of work but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties and responsibilities required. The position may also involve the modeling of grid assets, including renewable energy and energy storage systems, engaged in market and non-market operations in order to determine their economic value, and also to consider alternative market structures on value and other important metrics tied to cost or emissions.

The successful postdoctoral candidate will conduct economic and financial studies of hydropower projects in the context of capacity expansion, retrofitting, and market operations. The successful postdoctoral candidate will study the economic and financial impacts of experimental flows and environmental regulations on existing hydropower projects. The successful candidate will assist in developing power system and hydropower modeling tools that support energy, economic, and environmental analyses of hydropower, energy storage, and other renewable resources. Some of these tools will require the creation of simulation and optimization routines.

The successful candidate will perform data analytics and conduct research related to a wide range of topic areas including the analysis of energy and power systems, electricity market design and operations, hydropower energy and energy storage integration, and other energy technologies.

The position involves presenting and publishing results in peer reviewed reports and journal articles, making presentations at conferences, supporting program development activities, and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of pertinent literature in which related work is being conducted.

Position Requirements

• Candidates must hold a PhD in Economics or Engineering. If the candidate possesses a PhD degree in Engineering, they must also have a Master's degree in Economics.

• Knowledge of energy markets, policy, and regulations.

• Knowledge of financial and economic principles applied to the energy sector.

• Knowledge of power systems operations, production cost models, ISO and utility business, applied economics.

• Experience in statistics and statistical analysis.

• Experience with environmental systems is preferred but not required.

• Experience working with federal agencies is preferred but not required.

• Ability to independently identify and solve challenging technical problems and also work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment.

• Skilled written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills at all levels of the organization

• Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Record of productive and creative research, demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences.

Job Family

Postdoctoral Family

Job Profile

Postdoctoral Appointee

Worker Type

Long-Term (Fixed Term)

Time Type

Full time

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, int