AVP, Federal Regulatory Affairs

Xcel Energy•Minneapolis, MN

5d•$220,000 - $278,900•Onsite

About The Position

Design, lead, and implement Xcel Energy’s enterprise-wide federal regulatory strategy and program in support of the Company’s electric and gas utilities across four operating companies and seven states. Provide strategic leadership and subject matter expertise on federal regulatory, wholesale market, transmission, reliability, tariff, and compliance matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), NERC Regional Entities, Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), and other regional organizations. Reports to the Vice President, Federal Regulatory, Legal, and Policy. Serve as a senior leader within the Federal Regulatory Affairs function and a Company-wide resource on FERC-jurisdictional transmission and wholesale matters, federal regulatory policy, NERC-related matters, and federal regulatory compliance. Partner with Commercial Operations, Transmission, Integrated System Planning, Operating Companies, Legal, and other business areas on issues including transmission service, wholesale power transactions, organized wholesale market rules and trading strategies, generator interconnections, open access transmission policy, tariffs, and significant transmission and wholesale business decisions. Advise senior leadership on significant federal regulatory, market, reliability, compliance, and policy developments, including matters with long-term operational, investment, customer, market access, and regulatory impacts. Lead federal regulatory advocacy in national forums, industry-wide trade associations, and other federal policy forums. Provide federal regulatory oversight, subject matter expertise, and enterprise-wide coordination support for matters involving regional transmission organizations, organized markets, and national and regional reliability entities.

Requirements

BA/BS degree in Business, Engineering, Economics, Public Policy, Law, or related discipline.
A minimum of ten years in the regulatory field required; significant experience with FERC-regulated electric utility matters, transmission policy, wholesale markets, RTOs, NERC, and federal regulatory compliance strongly preferred.
Must possess expert knowledge of FERC policies, procedures, precedent-setting orders, open access transmission requirements, wholesale market rules, market-based rate requirements, federal compliance obligations, and regulatory issues affecting electric and gas utilities across multiple jurisdictions.
Knowledge of NERC reliability standards, RTO stakeholder processes, regional transmission planning, generator interconnection, transmission service, wholesale power transactions, and organized wholesale market design is strongly preferred.
Strong strategic thinking, organizational, communication, leadership, advocacy, executive advisory, and management skills are essential.
Must be able to lead enterprise-wide coordination across operating companies, business units, technical subject matter experts, regulatory personnel, legal counsel, and senior executives.
Must be proactive, adept at working with regulators and industry stakeholders, and capable of making decisions in a rapidly changing regulatory and market environment.
Proficient with Microsoft Office software.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree, JD, MBA, or equivalent experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement enterprise-wide federal regulatory strategies that support Xcel Energy’s electric and gas utilities, operating companies, business units, customers, and corporate objectives.
Direct federal regulatory filings for electric and gas matters, including rate, fuel, rulemaking, certification, generator interconnection, market-based rate, market power, standards of conduct, tariff, and compliance-related proceedings.
Prepare supporting testimony and serve as an expert witness when necessary.
Lead enterprise-wide engagement with Commercial Operations, Transmission, Integrated System Planning, Operating Companies, Legal, Regulatory, and other internal stakeholders on federal regulatory issues affecting transmission service, wholesale power transactions, organized wholesale market rules and trading strategies, generator interconnections, open access transmission policies, RTO participation, and transmission and wholesale business decisions.
Advise senior management and business unit leadership on federal regulatory risks, opportunities, and strategic options.
Direct the development, interpretation, administration, and revision of the Company’s FERC-jurisdictional transmission and wholesale production tariffs.
Ensure tariffs are aligned with FERC requirements, Company strategy, operating needs, customer obligations, market rules, and evolving federal policy.
Lead and coordinate the Company’s advocacy of federal regulatory policy positions in national forums, industry-wide trade associations, and other federal policy forums.
Develop policy positions with internal stakeholders and represent Company interests on issues affecting transmission policy, wholesale markets, reliability, generator interconnection, market design, federal jurisdictional issues, and long-term utility business strategy.
Provide federal regulatory oversight, strategic guidance, and subject matter expertise for Company matters involving MISO, SPP, SPP Markets+, WRAP, WestConnect, NERC, NERC Regional Entities, and other regional organizations.
Coordinate with Company representatives serving on stakeholder committees and regional forums to identify, evaluate, escalate, and align on significant regional market, transmission, reliability, and policy issues.
Establish and maintain effective relationships with FERC Commissioners, FERC staff, NERC, NERC Regional Entities, RTO leadership and staff, state regulatory commissions and staffs where federal issues affect state-regulated matters, public counsels, customer groups, industry participants, and other stakeholders.
Ensure effective representation of Company positions in federal regulatory proceedings, national policy forums, and related state regulatory matters where appropriate.
Oversee FERC compliance programs, including FERC Standards of Conduct, market-based rate authorizations, market power analyses, and engagement on organized wholesale market trading strategies to support compliance with anti-market manipulation rules and other federal requirements.
Oversee an integrated NERC compliance function that engages with business areas across the Company on reliability standards, audit readiness, compliance strategy, risk management, and implementation of new or revised reliability obligations.
Develop and lead a team to implement federal regulatory, wholesale market, transmission policy, tariff, compliance, RTO and regional organization coordination, and reliability initiatives.
Oversee RTO specialists responsible for MISO and SPP matters, the integrated NERC compliance team, and a Federal Regulatory Affairs manager and team responsible for FERC Standards of Conduct, market-based rate authorizations, market power analysis, and organized wholesale market trading strategy compliance support.
Direct staff work, resources, and budget needs; support staff development; and perform other duties as assigned.