Federal Energy Policy Ask-Me-Anything Panel Highlights

In May, Young Professionals in Energy New York City hosted its first “Ask Me Anything” panel discussion with speakers who have held positions at the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Clean Energy for America. Speakers included:

• Dr. Audrey Lee, Senior Director of Energy Strategy, Microsoft

• Avi Zevin, Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy, United States Department of Energy (DOE)

• Pamela Quinlan, Chief of Staff, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions on how the United States federal government can uniquely influence energy regulations, the role of various federal energy organizations, and career pathways in the federal government.

Audience members were asked to submit and vote for their favorite questions ahead of the event. The event was moderated by Savannah Goodman, Technical Program Manager (Energy Development, Data and Software) at Google.

Some highlights from the Q&A can be found below.

Can you describe the energy policymaking process at the federal level - how is it different with changing administrations?

Avi Zevin: Policymaking in the federal government is often a collaborative process. For example, when an agency wants to issue a new significant regulation, it will go through an interagency process of review led by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This allows different agencies to weigh in on the agency’s proposed and final regulations and provide recommendations.

For policies led by the White House (i.e., the American Jobs Plan recently proposed by the Biden administration), White House offices work with agencies on a proposal. There are a lot of working groups and meetings. For legislation, there is then a process of working with Congress.

Pamela Quinlan: FERC is an independent agency, which means it does not take direction from other agencies or the White House. However, a change in administration does impact FERC. For example, FERC commissioners are nominated by the president and then approved by the Senate. Commissioners are confirmed for a specific term, but the timeline does not align with the presidential administration. Nonetheless, FERC works on issues that are mutually cross-cutting across the Democratic and Republican parties, such as determining tariffs, creating legislation around energy storage, and more.

So much of energy policy is at the state level. What is it like working with different states?

Audrey Lee: Microsoft has data centers in multiple states, such as Virginia, Wyoming, Illinois, and California. We work with the local regulators and utilities in those states to figure out how to decarbonize the energy used to power our data centers.

Clean Energy for America (formerly Clean Energy for Biden) has built a grassroots movement, with over 17,000 members across 30 states. Members in different states determined what fundraising and messaging strategy would work in their state. We also received a lot of positive responses from small clean energy entrepreneurs, and we see a lot of potential in their ability to lobby Congress.

Avi Zevin: The DOE provides significant funding for states to accomplish their energy goals. For example, the State Energy Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy at the DOE provides funding to support state energy programs, particularly those related to energy efficiency.

Pamela Quinlan: FERC has been looking at how the electricity markets will allow states to achieve their clean energy goals. We are looking at central procurement of clean energy resources through the different independent system operators.  

What are the federal or private efforts that are aiming to make our electricity more responsive (i.e., demand response, vehicle-to-grid)? Who are the key players working on this?

Pamela Quinlan: FERC’s role is to ensure that innovative clean energy technologies can enter the market. Our goal is to level the playing field and give all technologies a chance. FERC’s recently issued Order No. 2222 will help promote competition in electric markets by removing barriers that have previously prevented distributed energy resources (DER) from entering.

Audrey Lee: Microsoft plans to be a solution provider in the clean energy sector by providing real-time analysis of the grid. We have already developed the Azure IoT hub, which manages bidirectional communication between Internet of Things (IoT) devices and Azure, a cloud computing service created by Microsoft that is managed through our data centers. We have also done a demonstration project in Virginia, where we worked with Eaton and PJM to test the energy storage capabilities of a lithium-ion battery-powered UPS to serve as a DER for grid operators. The goal is to scale this technology to our other data center hubs and for other companies to adopt it as well.

What kind of skills should I develop early in my career for a role in the federal energy industry?

Avi Zevin: I have a legal role at the DOE, so having a J.D. is essential. However, beyond that, being a strong writer is very important; knowing how to summarize key takeaways in a concise manner is crucial to the job. Most government jobs also require positive collaboration skills and it is very important to be a team player.

Audrey Lee: I have an applied physics and electrical engineering background. My Ph.D. allowed me the ability to be unafraid of learning new things. Initially, some of the financial and legal contracts were difficult for me to understand. However, given a positive approach to learning, I was able to overcome this. My Ph.D. also gave me the ability to think creatively, which is very important for the climate and energy sector.

I also did the Presidential Management Fellowship at the DOE. It was a great opportunity to learn about the federal government and policymaking.

Pamela Quinlan: I always tell people to be prepared, show up, and build their reputation. The energy industry requires an understanding of the legal, engineering, and economic fields. Most people do not have a background in all three, but they can build their understanding if they are committed to learning.

I also started my energy career by working in a startup. The experience taught me how to wear multiple hats, speak to different audiences, and gave me a strong understanding of the sector.

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