Closing Date: 8th May, 2024
Description:
Job Duties:About Us:
Our Mission:
A Government Entity advocates and educates to secure for Ohioans affordable, reliable, and equitable residential utility services that are essential to their well-being.
A Government Entity, the state's voice for millions of Ohio residential utility consumers, seeks an employee with a passion for public service to serve as Federal Energy Counsel in its Legal Department. This position is an opportunity to help consumers, including at-risk and low-income Ohioans, regarding their electric services (with some involvement in natural gas services). Since the legislature created the agency in 1976, we have sought lower utility bills and reliable utility service for residential consumers. At OCC, we put Consumers First.
This position presently allows for hybrid work. On at least two days a week, work is in the Columbus Office.
What You'll Do:
Your advocacy for Ohio residential utility consumers could include the following responsibilities: Appearing on behalf of OCC and residential consumers before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), appellate courts, and Ohio legislature, among other forums; participating in the processes of PJM on such issues as electricity markets, transmission planning and charges, and resource adequacy; providing legal advice to the Consumers' Counsel (agency director) and senior management; conducting legal research and analysis on complex issues affecting consumers' and working with a small team of dedicated professionals.
A focus of your work would include, among other things, advocacy for wholesale and retail energy markets that are effectively competitive (without subsidies), for bringing Ohio consumers the benefits of lower prices and greater innovation through competition. Additionally, the work would include protecting Ohio consumers, through regulation, from subsidy charges and other unreasonable charges for electric transmission service. The focus in retail markets could include protection of consumers from deceptive energy marketing and unconscionable prices.
The Federal Energy Counsel would be a participant on behalf of the agency for the Consumer Advocates of the PJM States (CAPS) and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), among other organizations.
Qualifications:
The Federal Energy Counsel must have a license to practice law in the State of Ohio. Applicants should have a minimum of eight years of experience in utility regulation and litigation. This experience should include familiarity with federal and state electric policy, electric wholesale and retail markets, transmission regulatory issues, and fundamentals of utility regulation. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in oral and written communications, including persuasive writing and making technical issues understandable. Familiarity with word processing programs, online research and other technology used in legal advocacy is expected. Applicants should have a willingness to work more than forty hours per week, as needed for consumer advocacy and a commitment to public service.