Transmission & Interconnection Manager

East Point Energy is a development firm focused on the origination, construction, and operation of energy storage projects. Our team is currently developing gigawatts of energy storage projects throughout the country, helping to transform the grid into a renewable, resilient, and affordable system for generations to come. East Point is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equinor, a broad international energy company committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future.

East Point’s nimble team is comprised of hard-working, strategic problem solvers who are passionate about sustainability. We are technology and contractor agnostic, allowing us to find the best solution for each project. The firm’s executive team founded East Point in 2018, bringing decades of combined energy development experience and over 1.8 gigawatts of solar, wind, and energy storage projects currently in operation across the United States. Success for East Point is measured by delivering affordable energy storage solutions that benefit the grid, communities, and our environment.

Position Overview

The Transmission & Interconnection Manager is responsible for developing, coordinating, and analyzing optimal strategies for interconnecting energy storage and renewable energy projects to the distribution and transmission system. This includes serving as the subject matter expert as projects navigate the interconnection process with the utility and/or RTO/ISO. Drawing on a range of resources including system assessments, interconnection processes and costs, market delivery, and the strategic goals of East Point, this position will be a key synthesizer of data to drive project development forward. This role reports directly to the VP of Project Development.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Oversee technical deliverables and strategies required for identifying points of interconnection and placing interconnection requests with the respective utilities and/or RTO/ISO
• Coordinate with the Development team to track and communicate statuses and updates for all active interconnection positions and related deadlines, including study milestones, study costs, interconnection cost estimates, and capital exposure risks
• Serve as a primary point of contact alongside the Development Engineer with utilities, RTOs, ISOs, and service providers for all interconnection-related activities
• Lead negotiation and execution of interconnection-related agreements with utilities and/or RTO/ISOs
• Collaborate with Project Developers and Development Engineers to identify issues that could impact site selection through a review of interconnection queues in active power markets
• Identify and build a network of consultants, processes for engaging those consultants, and internal protocol for navigating interconnection processes and evaluating study results and cost estimates
• Coordinate with consultants and other external support throughout the development lifecycle to evaluate available capacity, necessary upgrades, and estimated interconnection costs for prospective and actual East Point projects
• Coordinate with Development and Policy teams to monitor potential or pending utility and/or RTO/ISO tariff changes in select markets
• Track and communicate key transmission upgrades in target markets as driven by both regional transmission planning processes and interconnection queue developments
• Support strategy development by identifying new transmission and interconnection opportunities in targeted markets
• Support the Business Development team in the growth of the company’s inorganic pipeline via acquisition, ensuring proper transmission and interconnection diligence

Qualifications

Skills:

• In-depth expertise of the distribution and transmission systems as it relates to renewables and storage siting and development
• Ability to comprehend, analyze, and synthesize complex transmission and interconnection materials into actionable guidance
• Exceptional organization, attention to detail, professional communication, and presentation skills
• Ability and inclination to continually evaluate business needs and practices as the industry rapidly evolves, while successfully facilitating improvements and problem-solving
• In-depth expertise of RTO and utility tariffs, business practices, protocols, procedures, and guides
• Proficiency using power system modeling using PSSE, PowerWorld, MUST, and TARA or other modeling applications
• Strong project management skills, with an emphasis on managing multiple projects within a portfolio and managing priorities with regular adjustments to new information from the market

Characteristics of an ideal candidate:

• Passion for energy development and the environment
• Creative problem-solving ability and solutions-oriented mindset
• Self-starter with a desire to succeed and a focus on creating value
• Team player and leader with a proactive attitude
• Organized, attention to detail
• Comfortable with a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
• Ability to make informed decisions quickly and a bias for action
• Integrity and accountability

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering and/or 5+ years of experience in renewable energy interconnection. PE is preferred
• Minimum 5+ years of experience managing or advising interconnection of renewable energy and/or storage projects with experience in one or multiple of the following power markets: PJM, NYISO, ISO-NE, MISO, and ERCOT
• Strong analytic, financial analysis, and power modeling experience
• Proficiency with Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, etc)
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Mission Control (or similar) and/or GIS a plus

Travel & Time Commitment:

• Up to 25% of time will be on the road; will vary based on status of projects and needs of the company, including industry conferences and utility/RTO engagement
• This is a full-time, exempt salaried position. Standard office hours are from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST. The demands of projects may require work outside of these times.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) & Employer Match
• Parental Leave
• Paid Time Off
• Sick Leave
• Holidays
• Education, Parking, and Gym Membership Stipends

Location:

East Point Energy office in Charlottesville, VA preferred. We are open to hybrid or remote work candidates who are willing to travel often to the East Point Energy offices.

Note: This job description is not inclusive of all requirements of the position. Employees will perform any other duties as may be required by their manager.

East Point is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for a job unless they feel they are fully qualified in every way. We also know that sometimes the best candidates do not check every box. If you are interested in learning more, we would love to hear from you.