Senior Utility Analyst

Job Title: Senior Utility Analyst

Work for Indiana

Grow your career with the State of Indiana! With more than 50 executive branch agencies, the State of Indiana is a diverse workforce offering employees stimulating and challenging projects across a broad scope of career opportunities. As a State of Indiana employee, you impact the well-being of Indiana’s communities every day.

At the State of Indiana, we don’t just talk about diversity and inclusion - Our goal is to create a welcoming, accessible, and equitable workplace, with a workforce that is representative of the State of Indiana population. As a proud equal opportunity employer, reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process, as well as perform the essential functions of a role.

Next Level benefits at the State of Indiana are here! Be sure to review our expanded benefit package offerings below.

About the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC):

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is an administrative agency that hears evidence in cases filed before it and makes decisions based on the evidence presented in those cases. An advocate of neither the public nor the utilities, the Commission is required by state statute to make decisions in the public interest to ensure the utilities provide safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates.

Salary Statement:

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $79,736.00 but may be commensurate with education or work experience.

Role Overview: 

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Senior Utility Analyst. The Senior Utility Analyst ("SUA") primarily follows ongoing changes in the economics, technology, and government policies affecting Indiana electric utilities. The SUA monitors, understands, and shares pertinent information within the Commission (Chairman, Commissioners, Executive Director, Directors of the Research, Policy, and Planning and the Energy Divisions). The SUA offers technical advice on utility long-term resource planning activities including distribution planning and how these activities are affected by other regional planning processes and operations. It will be necessary to participate in meetings with a broad range of industry stakeholders including public advisory meetings to one-on-one sessions with individual groups. The public nature of the position means the SUA must be comfortable interacting with a range of people representing different organizations with varying levels of expertise.

A Day in the Life:

Primary responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 
• The application of economic, financial, accounting, and engineering methods/analysis to topics that affect the electric utility companies and retail customers in Indiana. 
• Providing technical information and advice to the Commission on issues involving utility operations, distribution planning, long-term resource planning, and the evolving industry structure. 
• Preparation of documents responding to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rulemakings and orders, and other federal policy actions affecting regional wholesale power markets. 
• Preparation of written and oral updates to Commissioners, Executive Directors, Directors, and other senior Commission staff regarding energy-related federal agencies' actions, especially how these activities impact Indiana utilities and operations. 
• Participation in electric utility long-term resource planning stakeholder meetings and other related meetings both in person and via teleconference. 
• Functions may also include: 
          o Assistance to other Divisions especially in matters that involve federal and regional transmission system operator policies (e.g., demand response, long term resource planning, distributed resources, environmental regulations) 
          o Working on state and federal legislation, and 
          o Involvement with other state and federal agencies as required (e.g., Department of Energy, EPA). 
• Work closely with the Research, Policy, and Planning Division Director on electric long-term resource planning activities with particular emphasis on expansion to include integrated distribution system planning and associated impacts on utility distribution operations. 
• Working with the State Utility Forecasting Group. 
• Prepare and present electronic presentations to Commission staff and outside utilities and related organizations. 
• Help the RPP Division Director review long-term resource plans submitted by electric utilities and prepare reports critiquing the methodology, data, and assumptions used by the utility to prepare its plan. 
• Help the RPP Director organize and host an annual electric utility long-term resource planning workshop for the purpose of encouraging continual improvement in methodologies and modeling techniques. Distribution planning and operations will be of growing importance given the increase in distributed energy resources and electric vehicles. 
• Support the Commission in evaluating utility requests to acquire new resources to provide reliable, efficient, and cost-effective utility services. 
• Apply a broad analytical perspective of the energy utility transition in support of formal hearings before the Commission.
• Participation in the review and analysis of alternative rate designs. 
• Participation in the review and analysis of alternatives to traditional rate base regulation including performance-based regulation and other forms of incentive regulation. 
• Participation in better understanding the load implications of electric vehicles, distributed energy technologies, and increasing electrification of the economy. 
• Timely respond to requests from the Indiana General Assembly for information, briefings, and presentations.
 

What You'll Need for Success:

• Undergraduate degree in Power Engineering or electrical engineering, economics, finance, public policy, or statistics.

• A master’s degree is desirable, especially for non-engineers.

• Work experience related to electricity resource planning/operations or utility regulation.

• Specialized training in any of the relevant areas such as forecasting, capacity planning, utility operations, transmission planning, distribution planning is desirable.

• Familiarity with the operations of the regional transmission systems.

• Familiarity with various planning tools is desirable.

• Familiarity with electric utility resource planning, the components of the planning process, and the integration of those components to develop a long-term plan.

• Familiarity with federal government policy initiatives involving the electric utility industry.

• Must demonstrate superior capabilities to communicate orally and in writing.

• Significant use and knowledge of various computer and technical resources.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:

This role may provide direct supervision for one or more staff members.

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes: 

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
• Flexible work scheduling options, including the potential for hybrid remote work for employees whose work may be performed outside state facilities
• Deferred compensation 457B account (similar to 401k plan) with employer match
• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
  • 150 hours of paid new parent leave
  • Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
• Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
• 12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Group life insurance
• Referral Bonus program
• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Free Parking for most positions
• Free LinkedIn Learning access

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruit, select, develop, and promote employees based on individual ability and job performance. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all people in all aspects of employer-employee relations without discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. We will comply with the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable state and federal laws. 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.

The State of Indiana has established a culture that welcomes equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all employees and applicants. We encourage you to apply if you feel you have the transferrable skills to be successful in this position and we look forward to reviewing your application.