Grid Interconnection & Permitting Lead

BlueCore Energy • Long Beach, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Grid Interconnection & Permitting Lead will own the process of connecting BlueCore Energy’s floating nuclear power plants to the electrical grid, beginning in Long Beach and expanding to additional states and ports. The role builds relationships with utilities, grid operators, port authorities, and government agencies; develops expertise in applicable regulations and technical requirements; and drives permits and approvals through completion.

Working closely with engineering and the Licensing and Certification team, the Lead will help shape the plant’s electrical design, subsea and shoreside cable connections, and emergency plans to support interconnection and future licensing. The role also partners with business development to assess prospective ports and prepare the company to scale. This is a highly independent position requiring someone who can turn broad objectives into actionable plans, schedules, and approvals.

The position is based on-site at BlueCore Energy’s Long Beach facility, next to its barge, and involves cross-functional collaboration in a fast-moving startup environment. The work may require physical labor, navigating active construction or manufacturing areas, and operating heavy machinery or specialized manufacturing equipment as needed.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of professional experience, which may include nuclear or maritime licensing, utility work, power generation, energy project development, or regulatory permitting.
• Working knowledge of utility and grid-operator interconnection procedures, such as CAISO and SCE processes, and the federal and state regulatory requirements behind them.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with utilities, regulators, and agencies and drive permits and approvals to completion with minimal direction.
• Solid understanding of power systems, including one-line diagrams, protection and relaying, interconnection studies, and grid-code requirements, sufficient to contribute to engineering design reviews.
• Experience developing or contributing to emergency response, contingency, or continuity plans for energy or critical infrastructure.
• Strong written communication skills and experience producing clear, complete applications and filings for utilities and regulators.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Energy Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with environmental permitting, including CEQA and NEPA, and siting for energy, port, or coastal infrastructure projects.
• Experience permitting subsea cables or coastal projects with agencies such as the California State Lands Commission, California Coastal Commission, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Familiarity with nuclear licensing or emergency preparedness requirements, including NRC and FEMA, or permitting in another highly regulated power-generation environment.
• Experience managing interconnection or permitting across multiple utilities, ISOs, or port authorities.

Responsibilities

• Own the grid interconnection process from initial application through interconnection agreement and energization, including interconnection requests, system impact and facilities studies, and required utility and agency filings.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with utilities, grid operators, port authorities, and state and local agencies, serving as the company’s primary contact for grid connection matters.
• Build in-house expertise on regional grid-connection regulations, tariffs, and technical requirements, beginning with Southern California, and translate these into actionable requirements for engineering.
• Participate in design reviews and advise on electrical design, including switchyard, protection, metering, and grid-code compliance.
• Lead permitting and provide design input for subsea and shoreside cable connections between the barge and the onshore grid, including routing, landing points, and required approvals.
• Develop emergency plans for events that could disconnect the plant from the grid, covering preparation, response, and recovery.
• Support broader emergency planning before, during, and after emergencies, coordinating with Licensing and Certification, operations, utilities, and local and state emergency response organizations.
• Work with business development to assess future ports, determine which interconnection and permitting approaches can be reused or must change, and build a playbook for scaling.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level