Manager of Federal Policy

Overview

Power Lines is a national nonprofit organization that aims to modernize the utility regulatory system for American energy consumers to lower utility bills and grow the economy. It focuses on state public utilities commissions (PUCs), which play a critical role in determining how much people pay for utility bills, how utilities invest in different types of energy, and where new energy projects are built.

These 200 commissioners oversee more than $200 billion in utility spending each year and have significant influence over the future of our energy system.

Rising utility bills are quickly becoming a national economic and political issue. In 2025, utilities requested a record-setting $31 billion in rate increases, double the previous record, while 80 million Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills. Meanwhile, the U.S. grid is experiencing the fastest rise in electricity demand in decades with the growth of AI data centers and manufacturing.

Utility bills have become a defining national economic and political issue with a growing bipartisan set of policymakers voicing concern over these issues and conveying a desire to advance policy solutions to respond to these issues.

Recognized on the 2025 “TIME
100 Next” list, Power Lines is rapidly becoming a go-to source and leader in informing the national discussion of this issue and has already shaped the conversation in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Bloomberg, CBS News, NPR, Marketplace, Financial Times, TIME, Vox, The Daily Mail, and MIT Technology Review. Power Lines is quickly establishing credibility as a nonpartisan expert on utility regulatory and energy affordability issues while reaching a bipartisan set of policymakers, including initial partnerships with the National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, and Western Governors Association.

Power Lines is in a period of significant organizational growth and seeks a full-time Manager of Federal Policy to strategically engage and educate policymakers at the federal level and to advance national policy impact. The majority of the role will focus on federal policy opportunities and federal policymakers, primarily on Capitol Hill and before federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and engagement with national advocacy groups.

The ideal candidate is a mid-career professional who has expertise on utility regulatory issues, experience building relationships with federal policymakers, and interest in working on bipartisan initiatives and coalitions. Previous experience working on energy policy and utility regulation issues is highly valued, including work before or on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Power Lines is a rapidly growing, early-stage startup nonprofit organization. This role will be expected to expand Power Lines’ base of partnerships at the federal level, manage diverse coalitions, tackle complex problems, and translate strategy and ideas into execution. The Manager of Federal Policy will be able to build on an existing platform to interface with a variety of public sector stakeholders, have a front row seat in settings with the potential to shape the energy landscape, and tackle an important national problem at a critical time.

Power Lines is headquartered in Washington, DC. The Manager of Federal Policy must be based in Washington, DC. Initially, the Manager of Federal Policy will work closely with and report directly to the Founder and Executive Director as the Policy team continues to grow.

• Policymaker Engagement
  • Lead development and execution of Power Lines’ federal policymaker engagement and education strategy
  • Build relationships with federal policymakers, including Congressional offices and federal agencies such as DOE and FERC
  • Conduct briefings and workshops for federal policymakers, including translation of complex and technical topics into accessible formats for a wide range of policymaker audiences
  • Attend national policymaker convenings and manage Power Lines’ engagement with partners
  • Devel…