Hybrid Director of Power Services bei County of Yolo, CA

About the Department

The Director of Power Services works under the general supervision of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Director has responsibility for a wide range of matters to support VCE’s mission and internal functions. This role presents a unique opportunity for a high-performing leader to advance into enterprise-level leadership. For the right candidate, the Director of Power Services position is structured as a potential succession path to the Chief Operating Officer, with increasing responsibility and strategic influence across the organization.


Job Description
The Director of Power Services is the operational deputy to VCE’s CEO, backing that position up as may be needed on a variety of issues and tasks. The position will work in partnership with the CEO in the areas of VCE’s strategic planning and long-term operations budget development, power supply and power services planning and implementation, and vendor management.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the Director will manage and/or have involvement in the following functional areas:

Integrated Resource Planning (IRP): Manages VCE’s IRP efforts. Work with staff/contractors responsible for developing the IRP reports. Coordinate with stakeholders, particularly VCE’s Community Advisory Committee, to develop integrated resource plan portfolios and portfolio alternatives. Participate in regulatory proceedings related to IRP and stay abreast of regulatory requirements.

Energy Procurement & Portfolio Management: Work in partnership with VCE’s wholesale energy services provider overseeing efforts related to: energy load forecasting, research and due diligence for potential power supply opportunities, negotiation of power purchase agreements, development and execution of VCE’s renewable, local and zero-carbon procurement efforts, schedule coordination and related CAISO/power services, invoice validation, issue identification, and contract dispute resolution. The Director of Power Services is also responsible for the preparation/validation of certain regulatory compliance reports focused on resource procurement, climate impacts, annual greenhouse gas inventory and emissions reporting, and preparation of informational material for the VCE Board and public regarding power supply planning and resource allocation. Finally, the incumbent will actively develop strategies to accelerate the deployment of local distributed energy resources, with a focus on their integration into VCE’s long-term power supply mix.

Finance: Actively support the development of additional funding streams, analysis, and negotiations of financing that relate to energy supply and local energy development, and
support budget analysis for rate design and rate setting.

Load Forecast: Oversee and direct development of VCE’s short and long-term load forecasts in support of retail revenue forecasting and wholesale energy procurement.

Regulatory: Works closely with the CEO and Regulatory Counsel to provide quantitative analysis focused on VCE’s energy supply portfolio, VCE’s load forecast, and broader California energy market conditions, with a particular focus on all quantitative inputs into the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment.

Contracts: Has overall responsibility for technical and legal review of VCE contracts for power procurements and is a key member of the energy risk management and contract negotiation team.

Public: Provides back up for the CEO and represents VCE as needed before regulatory and legislative bodies and with key industry groups focused on energy supply and the California energy market, with responsibilities as the CEO’s delegate.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Incumbent supervises various positions in the absence of the CEO, as well as provides general oversight of the Wholesale Energy and Technical Services Teams

Position Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee the development of VCE’s energy supply strategy, including energy risk management, renewable energy supply, local energy supply, zero-carbon energy supply, and integration of distributed energy resources.
• Oversees VCE’s Wholesale Energy Service provider, and their activities in procuring and managing VCE’s power supply.
• Leads analysis of VCE’s load forecasting and provides strategic decision support to the CEO and Board on policy decisions that involve VCE’s load, energy supply portfolio, and energy expenses.
• Serves on the VCE Enterprise Risk Management Oversight Committee, which is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and overseeing VCE’s risk management policy and for ensuring that procurement strategies are consistent with VCE’s strategic objectives.
• Responsible for managing the IRP process and overseeing staff and/or contractors in the preparation and filing of integrated resource plans with the CPUC.
• Assists with the administration of procurement processes for long-term resources, including RFPs, open season processes, and the assessment of unsolicited proposals.
• Reviews and analyzes proposals for electric power supply submitted to VCE and its Wholesale Energy Service provider by developers and brokers.
• Assists in preparation and presentation of information and recommendations to assist VCE staff and Board in assessing and identifying ‘best fit’ market opportunities for VCE.
• Assists in the preparation and updates of reports of wholesale energy products and resource planning studies to yield a portfolio of supply resources to best meet the VCE’s needs.
• Participates in interactions with power developers and brokers during pre-contract discussions, contract negotiations, and Board discussions.
• Assists with the administration of VCE’s power contract portfolio, evaluates the VCE resource portfolio, and recommends adjustments.
• Assists with performance auditing and monitoring for existing VCE contracts.
• Keeps abreast of developments in resource planning processes and in energy resource technologies, seeking out new technologies from public or private sources, evaluating new supplies as they are proposed to VCE.
• Represents VCE on external industry task forces and working groups as assigned.
• Assists in managing and administering VCE’s various renewable energy certificates.
• Assists with preparation of compliance reports and materials related to VCE power supply, including those required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), The Climate Registry, California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Department of Energy (DOE). 
  
  In the Area of IRP:
• Works with the CEO, Community Advisory Committee, Board, and other stakeholders to develop VCE’s integrated resource plan. Oversees and manages the IRP process.
• Assists in review and development of IRP reports and filings.
• Keeps abreast with other CCA’s IRP efforts and maintains working relationships with counterparts in other CCA’s.
  
  In the Area of Programs:
• Works with the CEO, Chief Customer Officer (CCO) & Marketing, Community Advisory Committee, staff and others in the development of a suite of complementary energy programs that enhance VCE’s electric generation service and meet local and regional carbon reduction goals.
• Develops and maintains external relationships with industry groups, key vendors, research institutions, and public and private sector organizations to assist in the development and implementation of priority programs and ‘public/private partnerships’.
  
  In the Area of Policy:
• Follows relevant CPUC regulatory proceedings (e.g. IRP, resource adequacy, power procurement, etc.).
• Represent VCE on the CalCCA subcommittee managing policy issues surrounding IRP, resource adequacy, and power procurement.
• Reviews and provides comments on legislative initiatives' impact on power, power procurement, system reliability, etc. 
• Follows California Independent System Operator stakeholder processes related to issues impacting CCAs. Acts as the primary point of contact for VCE as a member of California Community Power.
  

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

Experience/Education
Education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in engineering, finance, economics, or accounting, supplemented by a minimum of 5-10 years of progressively responsible experience at an electric utility, municipal utility, a Community Choice Aggregator, or closely related organization. Technical expertise in the power services and/or utility industry is required.

Knowledge of

• Energy generation technologies, including carbon-neutral electric energy, conventional energy, and renewable energy such as wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, concentrating solar, and hydroelectric.
• Use and management of renewable energy certificates to support mandatory and voluntary compliance programs, including familiarity with the Western Renewable Energy Information System (WREGIS).
• The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) settlement process.
• The structure and content of standard power purchase agreements for various resource types.
• Regulatory requirements of California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard, Power Content Label, and Power Source Disclosure programs.
• Power purchase agreement structures, general terms and conditions, and basic requirements.
• Regulatory reporting and compliance requirements of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) 

• Take responsibility and work independently, as well as coordinate collaborative efforts and achieve work goals through director-level staff and contractors.
• Think strategically with regard to community choice aggregator power portfolio issues.
• Convey complex information in a simple and understandable manner.
• Manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and quickly adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• See the economic consequences of power resource portfolio decisions
• Be thorough and detail-oriented.
• Identify and solve problems effectively and expeditiously.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with people encountered during the performance of duties.
• Demonstrate patience, tact, and courtesy with internal and external contacts.
• Direct, supervise, and coordinate the work of assigned staff. 

• Exercise sound judgment, creative problem solving, and commercial awareness
• Possess keen communication capabilities, verbally, written and graphically through presentations
• Interact effectively with administrative bodies and VCE’s Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors
• Possess time management, project management, dispute resolution and interpersonal relation skills
• Possess excellent customer service skills and communicate clearly and effectively with customers
• Understand, anticipate, and appreciate customer needs and concerns

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; compute rate, ratio, and percent to create and interpret bar graphs; calculate levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Understanding of net present value (NPV) and appropriate application of discount rates and other energy/financial analytics. Ability to work in various energy-related software programs, and general office applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Other Qualifications

The position is open until filled. To be considered for this position, please submit a detailed cover letter, resume, and three professional references to:

Human Resources
604 2nd Street
Davis CA 95616
Phone: 530-446-2750
Email: [email protected]

Following the filing date, resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined. Candidates deemed to have the most relevant qualifications will proceed with the selection process, which may include a written examination, oral interview, or a combination of the two.